Objectives: This report describes our early experience and results with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of gastroepiploic artery grafts in 12 patients.
Background: Angioplasty has been successfully performed in saphenous vein and internal thoracic artery grafts; however, experience with angioplasty in gastroepiploic artery/coronary artery bypass grafts is limited.
Methods: Balloon angioplasty was performed in 12 patients (11 men, 1 woman; mean age 58 +/- 8 years) with either total occlusion (6 patients) or severe stenosis (6 patients) of a gastroepiploic artery/coronary artery anastomosis. In seven patients, a guide wire/balloon catheter system was used through a 7F sheath inserted into the celiac trunk. In seven patients, including two who had unsuccessful wire/balloon angioplasty, an over the wire system was used through a 6.5F Cobra or 7F JR4 guide catheter, selectively inserted into the gastroduodenal artery.
Results: Angioplasty was successful in five (83%) of six patients with stenosis and in one of six patients with total occlusion (p = 0.08, 1 - beta = 0.68). The guide wire could not be advanced through the lesion in five patients, and the balloon catheter did not cross the lesion in one patient whose gastroepiploic artery was tortuous. Catheters exhibited better trackability and pushability when the over the wire system was used, and five of the six successes were achieved using this approach. Follow-up arteriography was performed in five patients, and all of the gastroepiploic artery grafts were patent without stenosis.
Conclusions: Angioplasty can be safely performed in stenosed gastroepiploic artery grafts. An over the wire system that uses a thin balloon catheter inserted through a guide catheter in the gastroduodenal artery seems optimal.