title: Reoperation for recurrent coronary artery disease--a ten year experience.
abstract: The need for reoperation caused by recurrence of coronary artery disease is becoming increasingly common. Although reoperation is more difficult and time-consuming, with careful surgical technique it can be carried out with the same mortality as that described by many units for primary coronary artery bypass grafting (1.2-2.0%). In the 172 patients described here, who had coronary artery reoperations between 1981 and 1990, there were two in-hospital deaths (1.2%). There were three postoperative bleeds which required return to theatre. No patient suffered a postoperative neurological deficit or postoperative myocardial infarction. These reoperations comprised 6.9% of the 2497 coronary artery operations carried out in the same period. Follow-up disclosed eight late deaths, from five-62 months after operation; all survivors claim to be symptomatically improved. Consideration should be given to the potential problems of reoperation when carrying out primary myocardial revascularisation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, St George Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Hicks
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000401:mortality; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D013997:Time Factors