Venous coronary artery bypass surgery. A 15-year follow-up study

Although the long-term results of isolated venous coronary artery bypass surgery are well known, there are few multivariate statistical data on such patient groups.

We report on 428 consecutive patients, 383 men and 45 women with a mean age of 52.6 years, who underwent isolated venous aortocoronary bypass graft surgery with or without left ventricular aneurysm surgery between April 1, 1976, and April 1, 1977, and whom we followed prospectively. A multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model was performed to establish the determinants of long-term outcome. The hospital mortality and myocardial infarction rates were 3% and 6.3%, respectively. Complete revascularization was obtained in 77.6%. Follow-up was 99.8% complete and averaged 13.4 years (range, 1.5 months to 16.6 years). Actuarial survival after 5, 10, and 15 years is 94.2%, 82.4%, and 63%, respectively. The cumulative probability of event-free survival for cardiac death, acute myocardial infarction, reintervention, and angina pectoris at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively, are 97.8%, 90.1%, 74.4%; 98.5%, 89.0%, 77.4%; 97.0%, 83.0%, 62.1%; and 77.8%, 52.1%, 26.8%. Left ventricular function and the number of vessels diseased are the independent preprocedural predictors of cardiac survival. Obesity and hypertriglyceridemia are preprocedural predictors of late myocardial infarction. Preoperative validity (Canadian Cardiovascular Society) and the number of diseased vessels are the predictors of recurrent angina.

We conclude that the long-term results of isolated venous bypass graft surgery are dependent not only on well-known preprocedural factors such as number of vessels diseased, left ventricular function, and age but also on obesity and hypertriglyceridemia.