[Emergency coronary surgery (indications and immediate results)]

Emergency surgery acute coronary insufficiency is now possible with good chances of success. The surgical risk should always be compared with the risk of purely medical treatment. In impending myocardial infarction, it seems that surgery improves the immediate prognosis. In uncomplicated infarction, the results obtained at present are too small in number and are not conclusive. In complicated infarction, the risk of conservative medical treatment is too great and thus justifies the indication for surgery. The conditions of surgery have been greatly improved by mechanical cardiac assist (intra-aortic balloon pumping). The latter permit coronary arteriography to be carried out safely and the patient is operated under the best possible conditions.