Patients who undergo primary isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) with all revascularisation done using arterial grafts have superior long-term outcomes than those treated with at least one saphenous venous graft, a Canadian study finds.

This includes improved freedom from death, MI and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events over nearly a decade of follow-up, say the University of Toronto-led researchers.

Drawing upon data from more than 49,000 patients with CABG, the team compared the long-term clinical outcomes of total arterial revascularisation (TAR) versus non-TAR, which was defined as CABG with at least one arterial and one saphenous vein graft.

A total of 2433 individuals (mean age 61) with TAR were identified, 63% of whom had bypasses of two vessels and 36% three vessels.