Long-term patency of radial artery graft bypass for reconstruction of the internal carotid artery

Reconstruction of the carotid artery by using a radial artery graft is a us eful option that can produce reliable long-term patency for the surgical tr eatment of giant and/or large aneurysms of the cavernous and paraclinoid in ternal carotid artery (ICA). During the past 10 years, 43 patients with intracavernous and paraclinoid g iant aneurysms of the ICA have been treated by reconstruction of the ICA wi th radial artery grafts after ligation of the cervical ICA. The long-term p atency of the grafted radial artery was evaluated over more than a 5-year p eriod (mean 7.2 years) in 20 of these patients by using magnetic resonance angiography or conventional angiography. There was no late occlusion of the graft in any of these cases. Stenotic graft changes were observed in two c ases.