Right internal thoracic artery versus radial artery as the second best arterial conduit: Insights from a meta-analysis of propensity-matched data on long-term survival [1]
The authors conducted a meta-analysis of propensity-scored matched patients in published studies to assess outcomes of right internal mammary artery (RIMA) and radial artery (RA) as second conduits for CABG. Eight studies included nearly 3000 matched pairs. RITA was associated with better long-term survival and freedom from reoperation, but also was associated with an increased risk of sternal wound infection when pedicled harvest was conducted.
See also:
http://www.jtcvsonline.org/article/S0022-5223 [3](16)30538-4/fulltext