[Status of the coronary vessels and functional state of autovenous shunts in patients with ischemic heart disease at remote periods after aortocoronary bypass].

Repeated coronarography in 89 coronary patients at late dates after aortocoronary shunting, including 74 (83%) patients with residual or recurrent angina and only 15 (17%) angina-free patients, demonstrated that the progress of atherosclerosis continued in both the shunted and intact coronary arteries after the operation. Thrombosis of autovenous shunts had a pronounced effect on clinical condition of the patients. Only 50% of the shunts were open in patients with residual or recurrent angina, while bypass patency was 81% in the absence of anginal attacks.