HAVE WE IDENTIFIED THE FACTORS AFFECTING PROGNOSIS FOLLOWING CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS SURGERY?

Abstract

SUMMARY Although coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been an established therapeutic alternative for more than 20 years in the palliation of symptoms of ischaemic heart disease, the associated risk factors for subsequent mortality and morbidity in these patients remain unclear. This is pertinent, as CABG surgery does not affect the underlying pathological process and different factors affect the early and late postoperative outcomes. As one objective of CABG surgery is to provide symptomatic relief of angina, it is desirable to identify (and perhaps modify) the factors affecting prognosis and outcome. An awareness of these factors will allow better patient selection and the development of better screening and therapeutic interventions.