Follow-up results of distal coronary artery bypass for ischemic heart disease

Statistically significant late results of coronary artery bypass procedures will be unavailable for 5 to 10 years. This report summarizes a critical analysis of the present status of 480 patients followed up for 1 to 30 months after coronary artery bypass. Thirty-day hospital mortality was 6.2 percent and appears to be declining. Arteriographic studies have shown only 1 of 220 patients without at least 1 functioning graft. Graft occlusions appear to be early and technically oriented and ranged from 11 to 14 percent. Significant symptomatic improvement as determined by cardiologists was observed in 92 percent of patients. According to functional classification there was a striking shift from preoperative New York Heart Association classes II, III, and IV, to class I as a result of improved myocardial blood flow. No degenerative changes in autogenous vein bypass grafts have been observed.