Combined cardiac and abdominal aortic surgery.

Patients with associated cardiac and abdominal aortic disease can undergo one or two separate operations for correction of both problems. The results of one (group A) and two separate operations (group B) were compared in 26 consecutive patients. There were 12 patients in group A and 14 patients in group B. Each patient underwent aortocoronary and aortofemoral bypass. In addition, three patients from group A and two patients from group B underwent cardiac valve surgery; three patients from group A and two patients from group B also had aortorenal bypass. There were no operative deaths and the complications were similar in both groups. The total amount of blood transfused in hospital, the length of stay in the operating room and intensive care unit, and the length of hospital stay were significantly shorter in group A. The average cost per patient in group A was approximately one-half of the average cost in group B. This combined approach for cardiac and abdominal aortic surgery is probably safe and is certainly cost effective.