No late ulnar artery atheroma after radial artery harvest for coronary artery bypass surgery.

Background: Radial artery harvest for coronary artery surgery leads to chronically elevated blood flow in the remaining ulnar artery. This study examined the ulnar artery for evidence of increased atherosclerosis compared with the contralateral ulnar artery where the radial artery had not been harvested.

Methods: Patients were enrolled at least seven years after unilateral radial artery harvest.