Multiarterial coronary artery bypass grafting: is the radial artery fulfilling the unkept promise of the right internal thoracic artery?

Purpose of review The debate on the second best conduit for CABG is still intense. In this review, we discuss the role of the radial artery and the right internal thoracic artery (RITA) compared with saphenous vein grafts (SVG). Recent findings The recent RADIAL STUDY has been the first evidence based on randomized trials of a clinical benefit using a second arterial graft in CABG. On the other hand, the definitive 10-year results of the ART trial failed to show a clinical advantage associated with the use of bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA). A thorough and contextualized analysis of this and other studies, however, may offer a different perspective. Arterial conduits in CABG have shown better patency rates than SVG. Whether this leads to better clinical outcomes is still debated. In this setting, the radial artery and the RITA seem to offer a similar advantage, although with different indications and contraindications.