title: Clinical outcome in venous coronary artery bypass grafting: a 15-year follow-up study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the clinical outcome of venous coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A study group consisting of 428 consecutive patients-operated on between 1 April 1976 and 1 April 1977-was followed prospectively. Single or sequential saphenous vein grafts were performed with a mean of 3.2 coronary anastomoses per patient. A left ventricular aneurysmectomy was performed in 25 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete revascularisation was achieved in 78% of the patients. Follow-up was 99.8% complete and averaged 15.4 years for the survivors. Actuarial survival after 5, 10, and 15 years was 91.4%, 79.9%, and 61.1%, respectively. The cumulative probabilities of event-free survival at 10 years were as follows: cardiac death, 87.3%; acute myocardial infarction, 84.1%; reoperation, 88.6%; coronary artery balloon angioplasty, 94.1%; angina pectoris, 48.7%; and any event, 40.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results are comparable with those of the few other long-term studies that have been published. With isolated venous bypass grafting, satisfactory results can be obtained until approximately 7 years after operation. Thereafter mortality increases, as does the rate of myocardial infarction, reoperation, and balloon angioplasty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: van Brussel
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kelder
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Knaepen
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Plokker
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Voors
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000401:mortality*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017741:Survivors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome