A comparison of the results of A-C bypass grafting in collateral and non-collateral groups.

Ninety patients who had aorto-coronary bypass grafting were divided into two groups: a collateral group, which had coronary arterial stenosis or occlusion with collateral circulation, and a non-collateral group, which had coronary arterial stenosis or occlusion without collateral circulation. The number of coronary arteries visualized through collateral circulation in coronary angiograms (CAG) was 32, left anterior descending arteries (LAD) 17, right coronary arteries (RCA) 11, and left circumflex arteries (LCX) 4. The results of A-C bypass grafting in the collateral and non-collateral groups were compared. Surgical mortality was 0% in the collateral group, and 5.4% in the non-collateral group. The differences in graft patency and graft flow between the two groups were not statistically significant. However, left ventricular ejection fraction and myocardial perfusion, which was estimated by thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigram, were significantly improved after A-C bypass in the collateral group. Although the coronary arteries visualized through collateral vessels seemed too narrow to undergo graft anastomosis, they were, in fact, large enough. A-C bypass grafting was achieved with more satisfactory results in the collateral group than in the non-collateral group.