[Myocardial function in the late period after an operation for aortocoronary shunting].

Thirty patients with coronary heart disease were examined prior to and 18.3 +/- 3 months after surgery, with 66% of the shunts proving to be patent. All patients were divided into 3 groups: group I--14 (47%) patients with patent shunts, group II--10 (33%) patients with partially patent shunts and group III--6 (20%) patients with occluded shunts. The group I and II patients displayed an improvement in the segmentary contractility and the integral function of the left ventricle as compared to the preoperative values. The group III patients showed a negative time-course of the segmentary and integral function of the left ventricle. In all cases of the impaired patency of the aortocoronary shunts there was progression of the atherosclerotic process in the basin of the shunted artery.