Apparently there are a lot of redundancies in the cardiovascular system. And then they go and design the heart as a single point of failure. *d'oh!* What were they thinking?
As for the arms and legs - apparently there IS a redundant artery in the forearm. However, when they take vessels from the legs they take veins, not arteries. One of the questions the surgeon asked was whether R had any history of varicose veins or deep vein thrombosis. If the answer were yes I'm guessing that would be a counter-indication for taking veins from the legs.
no subject
As for the arms and legs - apparently there IS a redundant artery in the forearm. However, when they take vessels from the legs they take veins, not arteries. One of the questions the surgeon asked was whether R had any history of varicose veins or deep vein thrombosis. If the answer were yes I'm guessing that would be a counter-indication for taking veins from the legs.