Predicting graft success or failure in coronary bypass surgery

Prediction of vein graft patency after coronary bypass surgery by vein graft biology and injury: the AdipoRedOx-CT study

Dr Charalambos Antoniades and colleagues from the University of Oxford have been awarded a 3-year grant of £258,000 to help address the very important question of why coronary bypass surgery may fail after just a few months. This surgery is important for patients who have suffered a heart attack to restore blood supply to the heart. The procedure involves taking a vein from the patient’s leg and grafting it onto the heart’s circulatory network to bypass the damaged arteries. However, in as little as a few months after surgery, the graft can become blocked. The pioneering team will study the biology of the leg graft in 400 patients who are due to undergo bypass surgery. They will look at the structure and function of this leg area, particularly the important endothelial cells which line the wall of the graft. They will also look at factors which may cause damage or injury to the graft during the procedure that may ultimately affect its function. The patients will be followed for any signs of early graft failure. Understanding what factors may contribute to graft failure and how to prevent them will lead to improved care for these patients.