Blood Tests to Determine the Risk for Graft Failure

Graft failure, either venous or arterial, is diagnosed through an angiographic exam, usually performed when a recurrence of ischemia symptoms appears. Current studies focus upon imaging techniques for detecting graft failure and the laboratory investigations are a secondary finding. Most information available in the literature correlates them with mortality rates after CABG rather than with graft failure itself. Creatinine, fibrinogen, glucose and lipid imbalance are the classical parameters analysed, but there are promising data on B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and corine enzyme, platelet function analyser, and on the immune system involvement for the follow-up, prognosis, and early detection of graft occlusion.