About half the patients who have vein grafts for blocked arteries experience further blockage after 10 years. Interventional cardiologist Ravinay Bhindi is looking at the cause, and possible treatments.

Bypassing blocked arteries

Heart attacks occur when an artery with plaque (atherosclerosis) stops blood flowing to the heart.

Often the treatment is to simply insert a stent to open up the artery. But some people require bypass surgery. This re-routes the blood flow via an artery or vein grafted from elsewhere in the body.

Plaque in vein grafts: finding the cause

Unfortunately, up to 50% of vein grafts fail within 10 years, because of plaque build-up. This condition is known as vein graft disease. Not everyone shows symptoms, and they may only find out when they have an angiogram.

In this study, cardiologist Dr Ravinay Bhindi aims to identify the cause of vein graft disease, which is not well understood. The results could lead to preventive treatment, which would increase patients' life expectancy and reduce the need for repeat surgery.

Benefits

By understanding better the nature of vein graft disease, better treatment strategies can be devised. Also, the use of novel imaging devices could help identify which narrowed grafts are more likely to cause problems.