Perioperative myocardial infarction with aortocoronary bypass graft surgery

In 1975, 160 patients underwent aortocoronary bypass graft surgery at St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney. The incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction varied between 2-5% and 5-6% depending on the criteria used to diagnose pathological Q waves, and thus compared favourably with other reported series. The low incidence suggested that perioperative infarction should be considered as neither a deterrent to coronary bypass surgery nor a significant cause of postoperative relief of angina.