The use of right gastroepiploic artery for the bypass of left anterior descending coronary artery--case reports.

Abstract

The right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA), a branch of the gastroduodenal artery, supplies the greater curvature of the stomach. It is capable of easily reaching the posterior and lateral surface of the heart as a reliable arterial conduit when appropriately harvested. In the previous reports, it has usually been anastomosed to the right coronary artery (RCA) or left circumflex coronary artery (LCX). Here, we present two cases of ischemic heart disease undergoing coronary revascularization. The RGEA was anastomosed to the left anterior decending coronary artery (LAD), which is the most important coronary artery in terms of patient outcome. Thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy has proven that the RGEA can provide sufficient blood flow to the territory of the LAD. Thus, in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), the RGEA is a reliable arterial conduit for LAD revascularization.