Anastomoses

• Anastomoses pt1:

  • There are also many small anastomoses (small interconnecting vessels) between coronary arteries, which are generally of little functional significance in health
  • However, when the heart undergoes repeated episodes of ischaemia (e.g. Angina) these anastomoses enlarge and elaborate and over time can come to provide collateral routes or auxiliary routes for blood flow
• Anastomoses pt2:

  • A collateral circulation may ensure blood flow continues even when one of the coronary arteries is completely occluded (e.g. by an atheroma or atheroma-thrombus complex)
  • The development of a collateral circulation can increase tissue survival in the event of an arterial occlusion and reduce the area (size) of infarction (cell death – most usually muscle cell death)