Reduction of arterial graft smooth muscle mass by moderate heat therapy

Radial artery (RA) graft spasm is a major cause of early graft failure in coronary artery bypass grafting surgeries. We explored the feasibility of thermal reduction of smooth muscle mass to attenuate vasoconstriction. Rat and rabbit femoral arteries were treated thermally in situ (45°C to 65°C; 0 s to 120 s) and then excised at various time points for histological and physiological study (pressure-diameter relationships). Human radial arteries …