[Anterior interventricular revascularization using the internal mammary artery. Short and medium-term follow-up of 140 patients].

Between February 1983 and June 1987, 140 patients underwent surgery for anterior interventricular revascularization using the left internal mammary artery (the right had been used once). Operative mortality was 3.5%, but this value decreased to 2.2% when the familiarization period for the technique was taken into account. 112 patients were monitored for at least 11 months, and 85 of these accepted an angiographic examination at the end of the follow-up period. No graft was occluded. Only two were thin due to an inadequate stenosis of the anterior interventricular septum. One graft was 90% stenosed at its anastomosis. Moderate competitive flux was noted in five cases. These results are in agreement with published findings, and comparison with literature reports confirms that the internal mammary artery is superior to the saphenous vein as graft material.