ABSTRACT
From 1978 to 1982, 92 of our 1704 patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery were 40 years of age or younger. Eighty-six were male and six were female. The main indications for surgery were refractory angina and unstable angina. A family history of heart disease, smoking, and hypertension were major risk factors. The majority of patients had triple vessel disease, and six had left main lesions. Left ventricular function was moderately or severely impaired in 24. Coronary revascularization was performed with internal mammary and saphenous vein conduits, with a mean of 3.7 grafts per patient (range, 1 to 7). There was no operative mortality, but one patient required an intraaortic balloon pump. Perioperative infarction determined by Q waves occurred in one patient, while eight had enzymatic evidence of infarction. Late follow-up to 60 months showed three late deaths of cardiac origin. Eighty-three survivors were greatly improved, and 50 were asymptomatic. Sixty-five patients returned to work. Seventy percent of smokers stopped smoking; half the patients exercised regularly, and half maintained dietary modifications. Coronary bypass grafting is an effective rehabilitation procedure in the young. Long-term attention to risk factors and life style is required to maintain a beneficial outcome.
ABSTRACT
A total of 105 patients underwent combined coronary artery and valvular operations. Sixty-six had combined coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and aortic valve replacement (AV), 28 had CABG and mitral valve operations (MV), and 11 patients had CABG and double or triple valve operations (DTV). An average of 3.0 bypasses was done, range one to seven. These patients were compared to a similar group of patients who underwent valve replacement(s) only, without CABG. Bypass time was increased for the combined groups, as was ischemic cross-clamp time. Early mortality was 3.0% AV, 3.5% MV, and 9.1% DTV in the combined groups and 1% in the valve only groups. The higher mortality for the combined groups was almost entirely due to the 23% mortality in women over 70 years of age. Perioperative myocardial infarction (MI) was higher in the combined groups (5% MI, 9% probable MI versus 2.9% MI, 4.1% probable MI). All survivors were in improved clinical condition and free of angina. Mortality and improvement were unrelated to perioperative infarction. The small increase in risk compared to the significant improvement from the combined approach has led to the following principles: coronary arteriography on all adult patients requiring valvular operations; bypass of all significant coronary lesions; restoration of valvular function and hemodynamics; and myocardial preservation with cold cardioplegia during a single period of cross clamping, topical cold, and systemic hypothermia.
