[Coronary disease. Medical or surgical treatment?].

Aortocoronary bypass procedures have been proven to be effective in relieving angina pectoris. Whether the procedure actually prolongs life, on the other hand, still remains a matter of controversy. Many prospective and randomized studies have been undertaken in Europe and in the United States on this subject. The results of 6 of these studies are reported and discussed: the Seattle Heart Watch, the Veterans Administration Study, the Cooperative American Study on Unstable Angina, the Cooperative European Study on Coronary Artery Surgery, results of findings from Duke University, and the randomized Coronary Artery Surgery Study. Analysis of results of these prospective studies is of value in establishing a therapeutic approach to coronary artery disease.