Operations for Coronary Disease

The study strongly suggests that certain types of procedures, namely arterial implants, single, multiple and coronary endarterectomy or arteriotomy and patch, are affording adequate clinical and laboratory evidence of revascularization of the myocardium. These procedures appear to be developed now to a point where they are safe enough from a standpoint of postoperative mortality to be conscientiously recommended for patients with intractable angina, subject, of course, to a proper evaluation with the usual clinical and laboratory investigations that in the judgement of the cardiologist rule out other causes of the chest pain and disability.

Certain operations previously popular are now infrequently performed and no significant statistics are available to indicate their efficacy. The returns from the questionnaire in these categories lack evidence of clinical improvement and roentgenologic and laboratory investigation both pre- and postoperatively.

Lastly, this study suggests that long term follow-up of this same group is essential to establish the ultimate effects of the operation as compared with a control group. Such a study has been authorized and will be continued by the Committee on Cardiovascular Surgery and by the Committee on Caronary Disease of the American College of Chest Physicians.