Coronary Bypass Grafting in 476 Patients Consecutively Operated On

¹ Departments of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Medicine, St. Luke's Hospital Center, New York City

The results of coronary bypass grafting procedures were reviewed in 476 patients consecutively operated on. The operative mortality was lowered from 7 percent in the first 100 patients to 0.8 percent in the remaining 376 patients. A comprehensive and detailed evaluation was performed by cardiologists in 122 patients operated upon early in the series and followed for more than 18 months. Angina was totally relieved or improved in 89 percent of patients. Four patients out of 122 had sustained new myocardial infarctions during the follow-up period. Eighty-two percent of patients were rehabilitated to return to their usual gainful employment or their usual mode of life.