NONCARDIAC SURGERY COMBINED WITH CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS

The coexistence of coronary artery disease with noncardiac disease often leads to a dilemma in planning therapeutic procedures. This problem is especially difficult in the presence of accelerated angina or left coronary artery stenosis. A series of 17 patients is presented in which coronary artery bypass grafts were combined with noncardiac operations without mortality or significant morbidity. An illustrative case report shows the interrelated nature of the coexisting disorders. The conclusion of this study is that, at times, various surgical procedures should be combined with coronary artery bypass grafting for a smoother, less complicated recovery. However, there are no hard and fast rules dictating combined procedures; each operation must be planned according to the existing conditions and needs of the individual patient.