Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of complications in the upper limbs as a new event after radial artery (RA) harvesting for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
Methods: From June 1997 to August 2001, the RA graft was used in 271 patients who underwent cardiac surgery at our department. These patients were prospectively reviewed. All patients were preoperatively examined to determine the presence of normal sensation and circulation in the upper limbs; then we evaluated the incidence of complications at discharge, 8 weeks, and 6 months.
Results: No donor arms developed symptoms of ischemia or motor dysfunction. At 8 weeks 2 patients (0.7%) reported donor arm weakness, and cutaneous paresthesia was noted postoperatively in 10 upper limbs (3.7%). The univariate statistical analysis showed that significant risk factors for persistent cutaneous paresthesia were diabetes and smoking.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that complications after harvesting the RA for CABG are a rare consequence. The main symptom is a persistent cutaneous paresthesia present in 10 patients at 6-month follow-up.