Long term follow-up after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Progression and regression of disease in native coronary circulation and bypass grafts.

Abstract

Angiographically demonstrable changes in bypass status and their relation to the disease in the native coronary circulation were studied in 221 patients one year and three years after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The extent of coronary artery disease was scored according to the recommendations of the American Heart Association and quantified following the method of Leaman. Patency in 570 grafts at one year was 79-6% and at three years 76-5%. The majority of grafts (83-5%) showed no change from one year to three years, 1144% showed progression in disease, and 5-1% showed regression. The majority of grafts which occlude do so in the first year after surgery. After the first year, the graft attrition rate is 1*6% of grafts per year.