title: Long-term results after coronary artery reconstructive surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diffuse coronary artery disease, multiple consecutive stenoses and complex lesions are a common finding in coronary surgery. Coronary reconstructive surgery in terms of extended anastomoses with or without thromboendarterectomy is still controversially discussed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of patients who underwent coronary reconstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 1995 and June 2004, 640 consecutive, unselected patients underwent isolated CABG with coronary reconstructive surgery of the LAD at a single institution. A cross-sectional long-term follow-up was performed with a completeness of 99.2 %. Questionnaires were sent to all patients with a response rate of 83.2 % (n = 533).
  
  
  RESULTS
  147 of the 640 patients (22.9 %) died during up the follow-up period which was up to 10 years. Of the 371 patients who responded to the questionnaires, the status of 54 patients (15.9 %), predominantly those with a preoperative lower NYHA class, remained unchanged, while 294 patients (79.2 %) improved by at least one NYHA class. Repeat angiography was performed in 80 patients (15.7 %). Indications for percutaneous coronary intervention for the LAD arose in 4 cases (0.8 %); the interventions were performed in the proximal (n = 2) or distal (n = 1) LAD and one intervention affected the anastomotic area. Redo CABG was necessary in 3 patients (0.5 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coronary reconstruction in patients with complex coronary morphology and advanced diffuse CAD is in an additionally investigated subgroup of patients associated with a satisfying graft patency and excellent long-term results in terms of survival, NYHA class and reintervention rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. vassil.gegouskov@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gegouskov
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Tochtermann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Badowski-Zyla
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hagl
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Osswald
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000601:surgery*; D004691:Endarterectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome