Coronary reoperations in patients with a patent internal mammary artery graft

Objective: Analysis of short and long term results, clinical, functional an d subjective status of patients, with a patent arterial graft, after corona ry reoperation (RECABG). Methods: Perioperative and follow-up data of 71 patients, undergoing corona ry reoperations (1987-8) were studied. A cross-sectional follow-up was cond ucted, functional evaluation by the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI), and patient's evaluation of his life situation were registered. Results: Perioperative mortality was 7%. Eleven patients died during follow -up. The 12-month and 60-month survival was 96% and 80%. Event-free surviva l was 86% and 51%. Family doctors declared that 55/66 (83%) had benefitted from the coronary reoperations. New York Heart Association decreased signif icantly from 3.4 +/- 0.5 preoperative versus 1.5 +/- 0.4 postoperative. The mean DASI was 38.06 +/- 10.42. At the moment of the cross-sectional follow -up, 45/55 patients (82%) declared to have benefitted from the coronary reo perations. Conclusion: Improvement in New York Heart Association-class, good postopera tive functional capacity, and patients positive evaluation, justify coronar y reoperations in patients with a patent internal mammary artery graft. (C) 2001 The International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery. Published by El sevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.