Grafting the Restenosed Coronary Artery.

(texas heart institute journal, - 2006, volume 33, number 2,: 262-263.)

Percutaneous coronary interventions are now being performed more often and with a wider variety of indications than was true even in the recent past. Accordingly, indications for the use of coronary stents have expanded to include diffuse, multiple, bifurcated, and distal vascular lesions. The implantation, by experienced interventional cardiologists, of multiple stents in a single coronary artery is also becoming relatively common. In combination with the natural progression of coronary artery disease, the higher probability of restenosis in previously stented coronary vessels forces cardiac surgeons to intervene more often in such patients. In the presence of one or more stents in the vascular segment intended for bypass, the best approach is not yet clear.