The radial artery and saphenous vein have been used as a useful free graft for neurosurgical revascularization surgery. Potential disadvantages of the radial artery compared with the saphenous vein include relative shortness, spasm, and functional occlusion.
To compensate for the short length of the radial artery graft, the radial artery and the superior thyroid or occipital arteries were connected end-to-end. This method was applied in 3 cases of unclippable aneurysms, achieving adequate revascularizations. There were no complications related to this procedure.
Radial artery graft bypass using the superior thyroid or occipital artery is a simple, safe, and useful method for cerebral revascularization.
