title: Coronary endarterectomy--angiographic and clinical results.
abstract: Of 75 patients who underwent coronary endarterectomy, 16% had left main stem stenosis, 4% one-vessel, 27% two-vessel and 53% three-vessel disease. On average 2.9 grafts per patient were inserted, in conjunction with 82 manual endarterectomies (38 right coronary, 35 left anterior descending, 9 circumflex branches). In 68/75 cases (91%) the endarterectomy was not preplanned and in 39 cases (52%) greater than or equal to 3 cm of the atherosclerotic core was removed. All four early deaths (5%) followed endarterectomy of LAD. Acute perioperative myocardial infarction was confirmed in 19% and probable in further 8%. At angiography 1-139 (median 25) months postoperatively, all three internal mammary artery grafts and 19/34 saphenous vein grafts (56%) to endarterectomized vessels were patent, though in 4 of the 19, the coronary artery was occluded distal to the anastomosis. In addition 17/18 conventional internal mammary artery (94%) and 48/59 conventional saphenous vein grafts (81%) were patent. The vein graft patency rate was not significantly influenced by postoperative anticoagulant therapy, but was significantly increased among patients with relief of angina: 44% reported freedom from angina and 92% at least some relief after a median of 3 years. The 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 85% and 68%. Despite the increased risk, endarterectomy can be recommended for severely diseased major coronary arteries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ivert
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Welti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Forssell
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Landou
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D004691:Endarterectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D012086:Reoperation; D014654:Vascular Patency