Among multi-arterial coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) strategies, bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) and single internal thoracic artery plus radial artery (SITA+RA) are the most commonly used. A large study presented at the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting 2026 compared outcomes in more than 2.1 million CABG patients from the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database between 2008 and 2023. Overall 15-year survival was similar between the BITA and SITA+RA groups. However, outcomes differed by age.
BITA was associated with improved survival in patients younger than 60 years, whereas SITA+RA showed lower mortality in patients aged 70 years and older. SITA+RA conferred an early survival advantage during the first five years after surgery, while BITA demonstrated benefits beyond 10 years. In addition, the use of a third arterial conduit was linked to improved survival…
