Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

BACKGROUND: Low and oscillatory wall shear stress promotes endothelial dysfunction and vascular disease. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of an external stent on hemodynamic flow parameters in saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) and their correlation with the development of intimal hyperplasia. METHODS: We performed post hoc computational fluid dynamics analysis of the randomized Venous External Support Trial, in which angiography and intravascular ultrasound data were available for 29 patients, 1 year after coronary artery bypass grafting. Each patient received 1 external stent, to either the right or left coronary territories; ≥ 1 patients with nonstented SVGs served as control(s). Diffuse flow patterns were assessed using mean values of various hemodynamic parameters, including time-averaged wall shear stress and oscillatory shear index (OSI). Focal flow disturbances were characterized using percentile analysis of each parameter. RESULTS: Angiography and intravascular ultrasound data were available for 53 and 43 SVGs, respectively. The stented versus nonstented SVG failure rates were significantly lower in the left territory (17.6% vs 27.5%; P = .02), and significantly higher in the right territory (46.2% vs 13.4%; P = .01). In both diffuse and focal flow-pattern analyses, OSI was significantly lower in the stented versus nonstented SVG group (P = .009 and P < .003, respectively), whereas no significant differences were observed in time-averaged wall shear stress values. High OSI values were correlated with the development of intimal hyperplasia (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: External stenting affects SVG's hemodynamics 1 year after coronary artery bypass grafting and may mitigate the progression of intimal hyperplasia by reducing oscillatory shear stress.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.jtcvs.2015.04.061

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg

Publication Date

10/2015

Volume

150

Pages

871 - 878

Keywords

coronary artery bypass graft surgery, external stent, flow pattern, intimal hyperplasia, saphenous vein graft, Biomechanical Phenomena, Coronary Artery Bypass, Hemodynamics, Humans, Hyperplasia, Saphenous Vein, Stents, Tunica Intima