title: Long-term cardiac survival after reoperative coronary artery bypass grafting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite advances in cardiac surgery, the risk of reoperative coronary artery bypass surgery (RECABG) still exceeds those of a primary myocardial revascularization and also the late results are not so favourable. In this study, long-term cardiac survival is analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed long-term cardiac survival of 466 patients who survived the first 6 months after a RECABG between January 1987 and December 1998. Actuarial survival estimates were calculated and pre- and peroperative variables were analyzed to identify predictors of long-term cardiac related mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean follow-up was 7.7 +/- 3.8 years (1-17 years), and follow-up was 95.6% complete. One-year cardiac survival was 98.2%, 5-year: 91.0%, 10-year: 78.7% and 14-year survival 60.2%. Cardiac survival was only significantly superior for patients under 65 years of age at the moment of the RECABG. Impaired left ventricular function was identified as the only independent predictor of late cardiac-related mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The long-term survival in patients undergoing RECABG is acceptable. Once patients survived the first 6 postoperative months, advanced age (>65 years) is affecting long-term cardiac survival and impaired left ventricular function is the only independent predictor of late cardiac mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery, 414, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. l.noyez@thorax.umcn.nl
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Noyez
authors.forename: Frans M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: van Eck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000401:mortality*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012086:Reoperation / Q000401:mortality; D016019:Survival Analysis