PERCUTANEOUS REVASCULARIZATION OF AN EXTENSIVELY DISEASED SAPHENOUS-VEIN BYPASS GRAFT WITH A SAPHENOUS VEIN-COVERED PALMAZ STENT

A 68-year-old man developed unstable angina 12 years following coronar y artery bypass surgery. Angiography revealed an extensive area of sev ere stenosis and diminished distal flow in a right coronary artery vei n bypass graft. Given the high distal embolism rate associated with co nventional catheter-based treatment of old degenerated vein grafts, th e diseased area was ''relined'' with a composite autologous saphenous vein-covered stent. The procedure was performed using modifications of standard PTCA methods and resulted in a widely patent, smooth lumen. This Initial case demonstrates that a degenerated saphenous vein graft can be successfully revascularized with an autologous saphenous vein- covered stent in an attempt to minimize the potential complications of standard catheter-based revascularization methods. (C) 1997 Wiley-Lis s, Inc.