Mesh tube-calibrated varicose veins for coronary artery bypass grafting

Complex arterial bypass grafting may be contraindicated for patients with multivessel disease and inadequate saphenous veins. In such cases varicose veins may be used as bypass conduits after calibration by insertion into mesh tubes. After in vitro and experimental testing, as well as gratifying results in infrainguinal arterial reconstructions, wrapped varicose vein grafts in addition to arterial bypass grafts were used in 6 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.