In the 1980's, it was recognized that long-term survival was enhanced in patients undergoing coronary surgery when the left anterior descending (LAD) was grafted with a left internal thoracic artery (ITA) rather than a saphenous vein (1). This difference was predicated, at least in part, due to greater and more durable patency of the left ITA compared to an increased early occlusion rate and later progressive atherosclerosis of saphenous vein grafts (SVG) (2).