Gaudino, Mario (7005592319)Mario (7005592319)GaudinoBenedetto, Umberto (13906087500)Umberto (13906087500)BenedettoFremes, Stephen (7005370948)Stephen (7005370948)FremesBallman, Karla (6701817642)Karla (6701817642)BallmanBiondi-Zoccai, Giuseppe (57209103657)Giuseppe (57209103657)Biondi-ZoccaiSedrakyan, Art (55207402200)Art (55207402200)SedrakyanNasso, Giuseppe (6602872975)Giuseppe (6602872975)NassoRaman, Jai (35460854900)Jai (35460854900)RamanBuxton, Brian (7101750784)Brian (7101750784)BuxtonHayward, Philip A (17134822400)Philip A (17134822400)HaywardMoat, Neil (57207515942)Neil (57207515942)MoatCollins, Peter (7402501228)Peter (7402501228)CollinsWebb, Carolyn (7202857888)Carolyn (7202857888)WebbPeric, Miodrag (7006618529)Miodrag (7006618529)PericPetrovic, Ivana (35563660900)Ivana (35563660900)PetrovicYoo, Kyung J (7202592784)Kyung J (7202592784)YooHameed, Irbaz (57207543795)Irbaz (57207543795)HameedDi Franco, Antonino (37025809400)Antonino (37025809400)Di FrancoMoscarelli, Marco (8979326800)Marco (8979326800)MoscarelliSpeziale, Giuseppe (7003720477)Giuseppe (7003720477)SpezialeGirardi, Leonard N (7005493576)Leonard N (7005493576)GirardiHare, David L (7102709050)David L (7102709050)HareTaggart, David P (7102253640)David P (7102253640)Taggart2025-06-122025-06-122019https://doi.org/10.1093/ejcts/ezz247https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85075221290&doi=10.1093%2fejcts%2fezz247&partnerID=40&md5=1d248be842f7367dd11d73f48088c6c4https://remedy.med.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/5294It is generally accepted that radial artery (RA) grafts have better mid-term patency rate compared to saphenous vein grafts. However, the clinical correlates of the improved patency rate are still debated. Observational studies have suggested increased survival and event-free survival for patients who receive an RA rather than a saphenous vein, but they are open to bias and confounders. The only evidence based on randomized data is a pooled meta-analysis of 6 randomized controlled trial comparing the RA and the saphenous vein published by the RADial artery International Alliance (RADIAL). In the RADIAL database, improved freedom from follow-up cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction and repeat revascularization) was found at 5-year follow-up in the RA arm. The most important limitation of the RADIAL analysis is that most of the included trials had an angiographic follow-up in the first 5 years and it is unclear whether the rate of repeat revascularization (the main driver of the composite outcome) was clinically indicated due to per-protocol angiographies. Here, we present the protocol for the long-term analysis of the RADIAL database. By extending the follow-up beyond the 5th postoperative year (all trials except 1 did not have angiographic follow-up beyond 5 years), we aim to provide data on the role of RA in coronary artery bypass surgery with respect to long-term outcomes. © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.ArteriesCoronary artery bypassMyocardial revascularizationRadial Artery Patency StudyRadial Artery Versus Saphenous Vein Patency trial