Reoperation after previous grafting with the internal mammary artery: technique and early results.

Among 1,006 patients undergoing coronary bypass reoperation from 1968 through 1982, 100 had a patent internal mammary artery graft. There were 88 men and 12 women with a mean age of 53.4 years and a mean interval between first and second operations of 56.6 months. Reasons for reoperation were vein graft closure in 26% of the patients, progressive disease in previously ungrafted arteries in 48%, and combined indications in 26%. One operative death occurred. There was no significant difference in morbidity when compared with a reference group of 906 reoperations in patients without IMA grafting. Complete revascularization was achieved in 64% of the patients; the mean number of grafts per patient was 1.6. Seven patients had a perioperative myocardial infarction, and eight mammary artery pedicles were damaged during reoperation.