Individual Versus Sequential Saphenous Vein Grafts for on-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting - Does Smaller Coronaries in Indians Affect Graft Choice? - A Mid-Term Patency Comparison Study.

PURPOSE: Although multiarterial grafting or bilateral mammary artery use is being increasingly emphasized for contemporary coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) practice, saphenous vein graft (SVG) still accounts for 80% of all CABG conduits (Park et al., 2020) [1]. In India, both the individual and sequential saphenous grafting techniques are used arbitrarily, and there has not been a study that compares the mid-term patency of these two. This is specially relevant in view of smaller coronaries in Indians than the Caucasian counterparts. This study aims to compare the patency for on pump CABG's. METHODS: In the present study, 323 patients underwent either sequential (group A, N = 151 grafts, each graft having two anastomoses each) or individual (group B, N = 344 grafts) saphenous vein CABG, between February 2014 and June 2017. The SVG anastomoses were created on obtuse marginal (OM1/OM2) and posterior descending artery (PDA). The graft patency of the vein grafts as well as the left internal mammary artery were assessed by serial coronary angiograms. RESULTS: Results were evaluated at 6 months, 1, 2 and 3 years post operatively. Group A showed a higher graft patency at 3 years at 80.8%, and group B, 67.1% (P = 0.002). Also, anastomoses on sequential conduits had overall better patency rates at three years (77.2% vs 67.2%, P = 0.005). The groups showed similar results at one year post operatively. CONCLUSIONS: Sequential bypass grafts were associated with superior mid-term patency compared with individual grafts. These findings suggest the more favourable results of sequential bypass grafting to be attributed to the enhanced flow haemodynamics.

Saccular aneurysm of external jugular vein with partial thrombosis.

Venous aneurysms are uncommon clinical entities. Venous aneurysms involving the head and neck region are distinctly uncommon, and a saccular aneurysm of the external jugular vein with thrombus is extremely rare. We present a case of saccular aneurysm of the external jugular vein with partial thrombosis in a 30-year-old woman, which was diagnosed on duplex ultrasound and contrast-enhanced computed tomography, and treated by surgical excision.

Giant congenital intercostal arteriovenous malformation with extensive involvement of chest wall and ribs: surgical experience.

Intercostal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare lesions. Review of literature shows that most reported cases are secondary to trauma or iatrogenic in origin. Congenital intercostal AVMs are extremely rare. We believe that only 1 case report of congenital intercostal arteriovenous malformation has been reported previously in the literature. We present an exceedingly rare case of giant congenital intercostal AVM in a young patient diagnosed on contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the thorax and treated by surgical resection of the involved chest wall and ribs with reconstruction of the surgical defect.

Small bowel obstruction caused by appendiceal tourniquet.

True mechanical small bowel obstruction because of appendicitis is extremely rare. A case is presented, and diagnosis and treatment principles are discussed.