Determinants of 10-year survival after primary myocardial revascularization

The first 1000 patients undergoing primary isolated myocardial revascularization each year from 1971 to 1978 were analyzed to elucidate the determinants of long-term survival. Five-year survival was 93.2%, and 10-year survival was 79.3%. Five-year survivals were 96.1%, 94.2%, 92.1%, and 90.8%, respectively, for single, double, triple, and left main disease. Ten-year survivals for the same subsets were 88.6%, 83.0%, 74.9%, and 70.9%. Five-year survivals were 95.3%, 92.4%, 88.0%, and 81.3% for patients with normal, mild, moderate, and severe impairment of the left ventricle. Ten-year survivals for the same subsets were 84.1%, 76.5%, 65.8% and 53.6%. Patients receiving internal mammary artery grafts had 95.6% and 85.8% 5- and 10-year survivals that were superior to 92.0% and 76.2% in patients with only vein grafts. Patients completely revascularized had 95.0% and 82.5% 5- and 10-year survivals, while incompletely revascularized patients had lower (90.5% and 75.2%) 5- and 10-year survivals. Advancing age was the most important factor influencing late survival. Other risk factors in descending order of significance were impaired left ventricular function, no mammary artery graft, smoking, abnormal EKG, three vessel or left main disease, left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) greater than 24, hypertension, 1971 to 1974 surgical era, cholesterol greater than 300, incomplete revascularization, and two vessel disease.