[Coronary reoperation--yes or no?].

From 1979 to April 1984, 51 patients were reoperated on for postoperative angina pectoris. Three patients died early and 4 late. The cause of death was cardiac in all cases. After the second operation the mean observation period was 24.2 months and the mean functional class 2.0. These results were somewhat worse than was to be expected after the first operation. The single significant risk factor was an ejection fraction reduced below 50%. The indication for reoperation should therefore be confined to patients with severe angina, good left-ventricular function, bypassable coronary arteries and sufficient graft material available (saphenous vein, internal mammary artery).