title: Coronary endarterectomy: new flavors from old recipes.
abstract: Coronary endarterectomy is an old surgical procedure against coronary artery disease first described by Baily et al. in 1957. Despite its first adverse results, several current publications have shown that coronary endarterectomy with on-pump or off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting can be safely performed with acceptable mortality, morbidity, and angiographic patency rates. Coronary endarterectomy can assure complete revascularization supplying the myocardium with satisfactory blood flow in cases of a diffusely diseased left anterior descending artery or diffuse calcification, thus preventing residual ischemia. Hence, it is important to evaluate current results, rethink this old recipe, and redefine its indications.
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, General Oncology Hospital "Agioi Anargyroi", 41 Kaliftaki Street, P.C. 14564, Kifisia, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: nikppk@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: Nikolaos A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Papakonstantinou
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Department, L'Institut Mutualiste Montsuris, 42 BD Jourdan, 75014 Paris Cedex 14, France.
authors.forename: Nikolaos G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Baikoussis
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, University Hospital of Ioannina, School of Medicine, 45500 Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Apostolakis
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004691:Endarterectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D011182:Postoperative Care; D012449:Safety; D014654:Vascular Patency; D014859:Warfarin / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D014859:Warfarin; D006493:Heparin
keywords: Complete revascularization; Coronary endarterectomy; Diffuse coronary artery disease; Diffuse coronary calcification; Residual ischemia