Results of graft surgery for coronary artery disease: a progress report

Coronary artery surgery is here to stay, but it will continue to be influenced by accumulating experience and evolving techniques. Direct internal mammary-to-coronary artery anastomoses offer the hope for improved results in certain patients. Tissue-compatible prosthetic grafts could be developed and offer an alternative in selected patients. Improved microsurgical techniques may permit broader applications with multiple grafts to smaller branches in patients with more diffuse disease. We are continually reminded, however, that surgical treatment is palliative, and that most of these patients will ultimately die of their disease. Thus the search for a better understanding of the arteriosclerotic process and improved methods for altering the course of the disease becomes more important than ever.