The radial artery has been used as a free bypass graft with excellent
results. An autologous vein graft-coated stent, a novel type of stent
developed at our institution, has been applied successfully under both
experimental and clinical conditions. To extend the spectrum of
biological linings for coated stents, we used an arterial graft. We
describe the first application of the radial artery as an autologous
coating for a conventional stent to be used in treatment of coronary
artery disease. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc
