Coronary steal or large collateral? Three cases of graft failure in sequential and composite grafts

Coronary bypass grafting using conduits with multiple distal anastomoses continues to demand scrutiny. While on one hand these techniques allow the surgeon to avoid or minimise aortic manipulation, the unique flow and pressure characteristics lead to complex forms of graft failure if the anatomy of the target vascular bed is not carefully taken into consideration. We report three cases of graft failure in patients with coronary bypass grafting performed using multiple distal anastomoses, and percutaneous revascularisation in one patient.