Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Editorial
. 2021 Feb:86:1-4.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.12.007. Epub 2020 Dec 31.

Bilateral internal thoracic artery use in coronary artery bypass grafting in the post-ART era - Perspective

Affiliations
Free article
Editorial

Bilateral internal thoracic artery use in coronary artery bypass grafting in the post-ART era - Perspective

Davorin Sef et al. Int J Surg. 2021 Feb.
Free article

Abstract

There is still lack of convincing evidence about the superiority of bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) use in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and BITA grafts continue to be underutilized. Arterial Revascularization Trial (ART) did not demonstrate the superiority of BITA versus single ITA grafting after 10 years. We have reviewed the most recent literature, assessed the current status as well as indications of BITA grafting in the post-ART era. We believe that BITA grafting is not appropriate for all patients especially in light of the findings of ART. However, the use of BITA is justified in patients of younger age and those without comorbidities (poorly controlled diabetes, obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, previous mediastinal irradiation, long-term steroid use, elderly women). Further prospective randomized studies with long-term follow-up are needed to validate the benefits of BITA grafting.

Keywords: Arterial revascularization trial; Bilateral internal thoracic artery; Coronary artery bypass grafting; Follow-up; Peri-operative outcomes; Safety.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types