The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Review Meta Analysis
Skeletonized internal thoracic artery harvest improves prognosis in high-risk population after coronary artery bypass surgery for good quality grafts.
Skeletonization of the internal thoracic artery is supposed to achieve extra length with added advantages of decreased sternal complications. There is no agreement whether skeletonization affects grafts, main adverse cardiac events, mortality, or pulmonary function when compared with the conventional pedicled method. The aim of our study was to determine the effectiveness and safety of different harvesting techniques. ⋯ Skeletonized harvesting for the internal thoracic artery provides superiority to the quality of grafts with additional advantages of lesser trauma, producing fewer postoperative complications. Above all, skeletonized grafting in the high-risk population has a potential benefit in mortality and mainly adverse cardiac events.