OBJECTIVES We sought to evaluate the effect of aspirin plus clopidogrel versus aspirin alone on saphenous vein graft occlusion at 3 months after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). BACKGROUND Prevalence of graft occlusion is high after CABG. Aggressive antiplatelet therapy is expected to improve early post-operative graft patency. METHODS From December 2007 through December 2008, 249 co...

Infection of prosthetic peripheral arterial grafts continues to be a serious complication of reconstructive vascular surgery. Autogenous saphenous vein, while providing superior patency rates, is considered relatively resistant to infection. In the past decade, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged as a major infection control problem in both hospitals and the community...

A previously healthy young man presented with acute renal failure due to extensive spontaneous deep vein thrombosis, including the inferior vena cava (IVC) and both renal veins. The patient was treated with selectively delivered thrombolytic therapy over a 7-day-period, which resulted in renal vein patency and complete recovery of renal function. A stent was placed over a segment stenosis of th...

BACKGROUND Patency of the revascularization conduit is an essential predictor of long-standing survival after coronary artery bypass grafting. OBJECTIVES We have conducted this study to compare the mid-term patency rates of radial artery (RA), left internal thoracic artery (LITA) and also saphenous vein (SV) grafts in asymptomatic patients following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG)...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this investigation was to determine optimal patient and target-vessel characteristics to maximize arterial and venous graft patency on the basis of data from a large clinical trial. METHODS AND RESULTS Angiographic data on 440 radial artery grafts and 440 saphenous vein grafts were analyzed with methodology to account for within-patient clustering. Multivariable mode...

In microvascular reconstructive surgery the patency of the recipient vessels is the key to successful outcome. In head and neck surgery there is often a lack of adequate recipient vessels as a result of chemoradiation therapy and ablative surgery. To overcome this it is crucial to identify vessels of adequate length and diameter outside the field of injury. We report our experience with cephali...

OBJECTIVE To devise a minimally invasive, less morbid yet effective alternative technique for basilic vein transposition (BVT) in the arm/forearm and to compare perioperative outcomes with the conventional technique. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients undergoing BVT in the last two years (June 2013 to June 2015) were included in the study and the results were analysed. All patients were preoperati...

Background—The purpose of this investigation was to determine optimal patient and target-vessel characteristics to maximize arterial and venous graft patency on the basis of data from a large clinical trial. Methods and Results—Angiographic data on 440 radial artery grafts and 440 saphenous vein grafts were analyzed with methodology to account for within-patient clustering. Multivariable models...

PURPOSE Infrainguinalfemoropopliteal bypass (IFPB) is recommended to peripheral arterial disease (PAD) with a long occlusion of the superficial femoral artery (SFA). The aims of our study were to determine the patency of graft materials, and identify the risk factors of graft failure. METHODS From January 1995 to April 2011, we had performed 380 IFPBs in 351 patients, including 302 femoro-abo...

Asymptomatic subclavian vein occlusion following insertion of a permanent pacemaker (PPM) or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is not uncommon. We report a case of a dual-chamber PPM in a patient with an unrecognized left subclavian vein occlusion who developed massive left arm edema following ipsilateral implantation of an arteriovenous (AV) hemodialysis graft. We recommend that pat...