Coronary artery bypass surgery versus medical treatment in patients with low ejection fraction and coronary artery disease

We compared the outcomes in patients with a low ejection fraction [EF] and multivessel coronary artery disease [CAD] who either underwent coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG] or received medical treatment [MT] after a viability study via dobutamine stress echocardiography [DSE]. We considered patients with CAD and left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] 25% [100% vs. 40%, p < 0.05]. The patients with CAD and a low EF had the same survival rate after both CABG and MT at mid-term follow-up. Long-term follow-up is needed to show the survival benefit of CABG in such patients with an acceptable extent of viable myocardium