| Clinical and Thermographic Findings
in the Late Postoperative Period after Coronary Artery Bypass
Surgery Using the Radial Artery |
(Division of Cardiac Surgery, Southern Tohoku General
Hospital, Koriyama, Japan and Division of Cardiovascular Surgery,
Aomori Prefectural Hospital*, Aomori, Japan)
| Shoichi Takahashi |
Mitsuaki Sadahiro* |
Kazuhiro Yamaya* |
| Shigeo Tanaka* |
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We evaluated the relation of changes
in skin temperature, measured by thermography, to clinical symptoms
and findings in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass
surgery using the radial artery. All had a negative Allen test
before operation. Ten consecutive patients who underwent surgery
at least 3 months prior to the study were selected. Left radial
artery grafts were harvested in all patients. Skin temperature
was measured twice, before and after exercise. Two patients had
a cold sensation at the arterial harvest site at rest. Three,
including these two, complained of pain along the harvest site
after exercise. No differences in temperature were observed before
and after exercise in the ulnar aspects of the palm or forearm
on either the left or right side. On the other hand, the increase
in radial aspect temperature on the left side was smaller than
that on the right. Skin temperature was clearly decreased after
loaded exercise in 3 patients. We believe that the indications
of grafting should be carefully considered because patients can
show findings associated with circulatory disturbance at arterial
harvest sites.
Jpn. J. Cardiovasc. Surg. 32: 220 -223 (2003) |
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