Abstract 13969: Effect of Endothelial Shear Stress on the Serial Changes of Vein Grafts Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography during the First Year After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: Analysis from the CABG-PRO Study

Introduction: Saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) have high rates of both early (≤ 1 year) and late failure following coronary arterial bypass graft surgery (CABG). Hypothesis: Endothelial shear stress (ESS) is a critical determinant of the natural history of coronary atherosclerosis, but the influence on the structural changes of SVGs has not been studied. We evaluated the effect of ESS on the serial anatomic outcomes of SVGs assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) during the first postoperative year. Methods: We performed 3-dimensional SVG reconstruction in 8 SVGs using fusion of angiographic and OCT data 5-7 days after surgery (baseline) and at 12-month follow-up. Baseline ESS was assessed using computational fluid dynamics. The reconstructed SVGs were divided in consecutive 3-mm segments (n=181), and we assessed the association of baseline ESS with the anatomic outcomes in the corresponding segments at follow-up: change in lumen area and plaque burden, and neointimal area at follow-up. Baseline ESS wa...