Which conduit is located in the chest and commonly used as a CABG graft?

• A. Saphenous vein graft
• B. Radial artery
• C. Internal mammary artery
• D. Pulmonary artery

Answer: (C)

The key point is that the left internal mammary artery is the classic conduit for CABG because it sits in the chest and provides superior long-term patency. Located along the inner chest wall, it can be used in its native position (in-situ) to bypass a coronary artery, most often the LAD, with excellent durability. Its natural arterial characteristics make it more resistant to atherosclerosis and better at staying open over many years compared with vein grafts. Harvesting the artery from the chest avoids a separate donor site and supports reliable, durable blood flow to the heart. Saphenous vein grafts come from the leg, radial arteries from the forearm, and the pulmonary artery is not used as a standard CABG graft, so they don’t fit the described criteria.