Coronary Bypass Surgery with Internal-Thoracic-Artery Grafts — Effects on Survival over a 15-Year Period

Abstract

As compared with saphenous-vein coronary bypass grafts, internal-thoracic-artery grafts conferred a survival advantage throughout a 15-year follow-up period. The survival advantage increased with time, suggesting that the initial selection of the conduit was a more important factor in survival than problems appearing long after surgery, such as the progression of coronary disease.