BACKGROUND Radial artery (RA) grafts are an attractive second arterial conduit after the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. However, long-term outcomes and the need for subsequent reintervention have not been defined. METHODS AND RESULTS We performed a retrospective cohort study of our single institution's 16-year experience with 1851 consecu...

Twenty-three coronary bypass graft patients were evaluated by a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) technique to determine graft patency. Four to six 4.8-second sequenced scans with a 1-second interscan interval were obtained in each patient during the hand injection of 25-30 ml of contrast medium in a peripheral vein. Patency of grafts was determined by a characteristic contrast enhance...

arteriovenous fistulae traditionally have been placed in the upper extremity. experience with groin hemodialysis access has been discouraging because of high infection rates and associated limb amputation. the aim of this study was to determine infection rates, patency rates, and possible predictive factors for prosthetic thigh angioaccess outcomes in our hemodialysis patient population. a pros...

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...

BACKGROUND Advances in endovascular technology led to an alternative treatment option for TASC II D (TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus II class D) lesions. This study was aimed to evaluate the outcomes of endovascular treatment for TASC II D femoropopliteal lesions. METHODS Endovascular intervention with bare nitinol stent implantation was performed on 58 limbs (53 patients) with TASC II ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the use of radiofrequency myringotomy in combination with mitomycin C as an alternative myringotomy technique on rabbits. STUDY DESIGN Experimental animal research protocol. SETTING University of Crete, School of Medicine, Medical Experimental Education and Research Center. METHODS Radiofrequency myringotomies were performed under general anesthesia on both ears of 20 ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Concentrated heparin solutions are instilled into the catheter lumens after each hemodialysis session to prevent catheter thrombosis. The heparin lock concentration at many centers has been decreased recently to reduce the risk of systemic bleeding and contain costs. However, the effect of this change on catheter patency is unknown. We compared catheter patency between...

OBJECTIVE Left internal thoracic artery (LITA) grafting has become the gold standard in coronary artery bypass graft procedure (CABG). In order to optimize the use of LITA or other grats, sequential anastomosis has been used. There is no consensus on equivalence of results between isolated and sequential grafts. The aim of this study is to compare the patency of isolated versus sequential graft...