Short- and long-term follow-up after coronary bypass grafting for single-vessel coronary artery disease

Short-term outcome and 10-year clinical outcome were reviewed in 114 consec utive patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for single-vess el coronary artery disease (CAD). Gated equilibrium radionuclide cineangiog raphy was performed soon after CABG in all cases, and revealed very good ea rly graft patency rates. There was no perioperative mortality, and very low morbidity. During follow-up there were seven late deaths, two from cardiac disease and five from noncardiac causes. Cumulative survival at 10 years w as 93%. Cumulative freedom from additional cardiac invasive procedures was 96%, 93% and 80% at 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively, and cumulative freedo m from angina was 93%, 80% and 73%. Conventional single-vessel CABG thus ca n be safely performed, with minimal postoperative morbidity and no mortalit y, providing good long-term relief of angina and circumventing need for add itional invasive procedures.