Choice of Conduit for the Right Coronary System: 8-Year Analysis of Radial Artery Patency and Clinical Outcomes Trial

Abstract

Background: Previous reports have supported the use of bilateral internal thoracic arteries to revascularize the left coronary circulation. If this becomes standardized practice, the optimal conduit for the right coronary system remains to be established. Our objective is to compare the performance of the radial artery versus the saphenous vein when used to graft the right coronary artery or its branches during an 8-year period after primary coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Methods: The Radial Artery Patency and Clinical Outcomes study is a randomized controlled trial comparing radial artery, saphenous vein, and free right internal thoracic artery. Of the 621 patients enrolled in the st..