Combined valve replacement and myocardial revascularization. Factors influencing early and late results

The risk factors involved in simultaneous valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting were evaluated in 54 consecutive patients, 42 men and 12 women, aged 22 to 73 years. The predominant valve anomalies were aortic stenosis (30 patients), aortic regurgitation (9), mitral regurgitation (10) and mitral stenosis (5). All the patients had angina. Myocardial infarction had occurred in 22 cases and was impending at the time of operation in 10. The diseased valves were replaced with mechanical prostheses, and on average 2.5 coronary arteries per patient were bypassed with vein or with internal mammary artery grafts. Four of the 54 patients died in association with surgery, and four more during follow-up (0.5-6 years). The operative mortality was 2/39 in the aortic valve group and 2/14 in the mitral valve group. The late mortality was equal in both groups. A relatively small ejection fraction and long aortic cross-clamping were the only factors which attained statistical significance as surgical risks, but mitral regurgitation due to ischaemic papillary muscle dysfunction, advanced rheumatic mitral regurgitation and tight aortic stenosis combined with coronary artery disease also seemed to be indicators of poor prognosis.