Prosepctive analysis of heart biopsies in coronary artery surgery

In a prospective analysis of 36 biopsies from human hearts performed at the time of elective coronary operation, several morphological changes were identified in the myocardium. Some of these changes (fibrosis, vacuolation, edema, and amyloid deposition) are of clinical signficance and may affect the long-term prognosis for patients undergoing revascularization procedures. It appears, therefore, that knowledge of the morphological state of the myocardium at the time of operation can prove useful in elucidating further the long-term effects of coronary artery bypass on the left ventricular myocardium.