CABG grafts can be sourced from which materials?

• A. Donor heart valves only
• B. The patient's own venous or arterial blood vessels, or synthetic grafts
• C. Animal-derived grafts only
• D. Only metal stents

Answer: (B)

In CABG, the grafts used to bypass blocked arteries come from two broad sources: the patient’s own vessels or synthetic materials. Using the patient’s own venous or arterial vessels—most commonly the saphenous vein from the leg or the left internal mammary artery, with other arteries like the radial artery as options—offers excellent biocompatibility and long-term patency. When autologous vessels aren’t available or sufficient, synthetic grafts made from materials like PTFE or Dacron can be used, though they don’t perform as well as autografts in the coronary circulation and are used less often.

Donor heart valves, animal-derived grafts, and metal stents are not typical conduits for CABG bypass grafts, which is why the correct concept is that grafts come from the patient’s own vessels or synthetic grafts.