HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Ryuzo Sakata Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ura, M. Articles by Fukui, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ura, M. Articles by Fukui, H. Related Collections Coronary disease

Ann Thorac Surg 2001;71:148-151
© 2001 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Original article: cardiovascular

The impact of chronic renal failure on atherosclerosis of the internal thoracic arteries

^a Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kumamoto Central Hospital, Kumamoto City, Japan
^b Department of Pathology, Kumamoto Central Hospital, Kumamoto City, Japan
^c Department of Nephrology, Kumamoto Central Hospital, Kumamoto City, Japan

Accepted for publication May 2, 2000.

Address reprint requests to Dr Ura, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, St. George Hospital, Gray St, Kogarah NSW 2217, Australia
e-mail: masashiura{at}hotmail.com

Background. Little is known about the impact of renal failure on atherosclerotic changes in the internal thoracic artery (ITA).

Methods. A total of 20 consecutive patients on chronic dialysis who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) during April 1998 through September 1999 were investigated. The 20 control patients were selected from the same interval to rigorously match risk factors. Atherosclerosis of the ITA collected from each patient was analyzed using the subjective evaluation proposed by Kay and colleagues.

Results. There were no cases of greater than 25% atherosclerotic luminal narrowing among a total of 35 ITA specimens from dialysis patients. The degree of atherosclerosis was not significantly different from that of the specimens from matched patients (p = 0.18). No calcification was found in ITA grafts either microscopically or macroscopically. The number of elastic lamellae, an index of the elasticity of the ITA graft, was not significantly different from those obtained from the matched patients. Analysis of preoperative coronary angiography revealed that coronary calcification was significantly more frequent in dialysis patients (15 patients, 75%) than in matched patients (p < 0.05). By analysis of postoperative angiography in dialysis patients, no evidence of atherosclerotic changes was found in 28 opacified ITAs. In addition, despite the presence of calcification in the native coronary, no calcification was evident along the entire length of the ITAs.

Conclusions. This study revealed the minimal impact of chronic renal failure on atherosclerotic changes in the ITA. The results of this study support the continued use of ITA grafting in dialysis patients.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Kai, H. Okabayashi, M. Hanyu, Y. Soga, T. Nomoto, J. Nakano, T. Matsuo, E. Umehara, and M. Kawato Long-Term Results of Bilateral Internal Thoracic Artery Grafting in Dialysis Patients Ann. Thorac. Surg., May 1, 2007; 83(5): 1666 - 1671. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. M. Dewey, M. A. Herbert, S. L. Prince, C. L. Robbins, C. M. Worley, M. J. Magee, and M. J. Mack Does Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Improve Survival Among Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease? Ann. Thorac. Surg., February 1, 2006; 81(2): 591 - 598. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Kato, S. Ikawa, A. Hayashi, and K. Yokoyama Internal mammary artery steal in a dialysis patient Ann. Thorac. Surg., January 1, 2003; 75(1): 270 - 271. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]