Left Internal Mammary Artery Evaluation of Preoperative Angiographic Data in 100 Patients

We performed selective left int. mammary artery (İMA) angiography to 100 randomly allocated cases between February 1992 and May 1992 at the Koşuyolu Heart and Research Hospital catheterization laboratory. Patients were classified according to their physical activity as heavy, light and intermediate groups. We measured the internal diameter of the left İMA in the first 3 cm after its take-off from the left subclavian artery and at the intercostal space (the probable anastomosis site). The values at the former site were 2.51±0.3, 2.75±0.32 and 2.93±0.27 mm for the light, intermediate and heavy physical activity groups, respectively. For the same groups the internal diameter of left İMA were 1.93±0.19, 2.07±0.19 mm at the 5th intercostal space. There was left İMA anomaly in 15 percent of cases. We failed to observe atherosclerotic luminal stenosis in any case. As were found the internal diameter of İMA in the light-activity group significantly lower than that of the other groups, it appears rational in this type of patients to perform preoperative İMA angiography if revascularization of the distal and posterior portions of the myocardial vascular bed is needed and/or when severe myocardial hypertrophy is associated with coronary artery disease.