Radial artery in myocardial revascularization

In the past decade, the use of the radial artery as a coronary artery bypass graft has been revitalized. However, there has been controversy regarding harvest techniques, antispasm protocols, and selection of target vessels. It is widely accepted that the patency of radial-artery grafts depends on the severity of native-vessel stenosis. Thus, radial artery grafts should be preferentially used for target vessels with high-grade (> 75% stenosis lesions. In this review article, we analysed the current status of radial artery grafts as a coronary bypass conduit based on our personal experience and recently published literature data.