[Repeated operations in recurrent stenocardia after aortocoronary bypass]

Abstract

With growth of the number of primary operations and duration of the postoperative period, there was an obvious tendency towards an increase of the absolute number of patients with recurrent angina pectoris. Among 990 patients who were operated on successively during a period of 9 years, 9% had severe Functional Class III-IV angina pectoris, in whom coronary bypass graphy was indicated to determine the possibility of undertaking a reoperation. The examination was conducted in 61 patients with recurrent marked angina pectoris. Impaired patency of the aortocoronary shunts was found to be the main cause of recurrence. At present, reoperations were carried out in 18 patients, 2 years after the first operation, on the average. The authors claim the immediate results of the reoperations to be satisfactory. The hospital mortality was 5.6%.