Angiographic Changes in Aortocoronary Vein Grafts:

Abstract

The angiographic aspect of aortocoronary vein grafts was reviewed three years after operation in 43 patients. These patients had been previously subjected to two selective angiographic studies: two weeks and one year after operation. The review of these angiographic studies suggests that the attrition rate of aortocoronary vein grafts levels off after the first year. Only three occlusions (5.4%) were found on the three-year study in the 55 grafts which were patent on the study conducted at one year. Two of the three occlusions occurred in grafts which had already displayed severe segmental reduction in size after one year. Moreover, the slight to moderate reduction in caliber noted in more than 70% of vein grafts between two weeks and one year after operation did not progress between one and three years. Thus, it appears that fibrous hyperplasia. which is believed responsible for these changes, is a time-limited process, and is not expected to progress after the first year.