BILATERAL AND UNILATERAL USE OF INTERNAL THORACIC ARTERY FOR MYOCARDIAL REVASCULARIZATION - COMPARISON OF EXTUBATION OUTCOME AND DURATION OF HOSPITAL STAY

The left internal thoracic artery is usually used as arterial conduit for myocardial revascularization; however, there is an increasing popu larity of bilateral use of this artery for grafting. We examined 180 p atients with both types of arterial conduits to answer whether bilater al use of the internal thoracic artery makes the difference in postope rative extubation outcome and duration of hospital stay in comparison to the unilateral use of this conduit, Ninety-three patients with bila teral conduit and 87 patients with unilateral conduit, with comparable age, cardiopulmonary bypass, and aortic cross-clamp time have been st udied, On tire basis of statistical and retrospective analysis, we con clude that bilateral use of internal thoracic artery for myocardial re vascularization prolongs required postoperative respiratory support (1 2.0 h against 7.6 h) not affecting the duration of the mean hospital s tay.