ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Author home page(s):
Miguel Sousa Uva
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sousa Uva, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sousa Uva, M.
Related Collections
Right arrowRelated Article

Ann Thorac Surg 1999;68:627
© 1999 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Correspondence

Reply

Miguel Sousa Uva, MDa

a Department of Cardiac Surgery, Hospital da Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa, R. Duarte Galvao, 54, 1500 Lisbon, Portugal

e-mail: uvamig{at}mail.teleweb.pt

To the Editor

We thank Chukwuemeka and Forsyth for their comments on our paper entitled "Does bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting increase surgical risk in diabetic patients?" In a large series, they have also found that coronary artery bypass grafting using both internal thoracic arteries (ITA) in diabetic patients does not increase morbidity or mortality with even larger indications than ourselves.

Several points should be considered when adopting a strategy of double ITA grafting in diabetic patients: 1) in our opinion, a number of small but important steps are paramount to the success of this approach, namely, meticulous ITA harvesting with no or minimal diathermy use, perfect sternal closure, and glycemic control; 2) sound surgical judgment regarding the selection of patients: avoidance of double ITA grafting in obese, very old, or emergent patients; and 3) continuing follow-up of these patients is required so we can demonstrate its long-term advantage.


Related Article

Bilateral internal thoracic arteries and diabetes
Andrew Chukwuemeka and Andrew T. Forsyth
Ann. Thorac. Surg. 1999 68: 626-627. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]




This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Author home page(s):
Miguel Sousa Uva
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sousa Uva, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sousa Uva, M.
Related Collections
Right arrowRelated Article

HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS