We present the case of a patient with acute upper limb ischemia after radia
l artery harvest for coronary artery bypass grafting. This occurred despite
adequate preoperative and intraoperative assessment with the Alien test, h
and-held Doppler and radial artery backbleeding. A successful outcome was a
chieved by performing brachioradial bypass grafting using reversed cephalic
vein. (C) 1999 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.