[Endarterectomy of left coronary arteries. An angiographic follow-up study].

From January 1989 to December 1993, 25 patients underwent endarterectomy on the left coronary artery system. Eight of the patients had concurrent endarterectomy of the right coronary artery. The operative mortality consisted of one high-risk patient who died from an intraoperative myocardial infarction. Two patients developed non-fatal perioperative infarction. The follow-up period averaged 27 months (range 4-58 months). At follow-up one patient was lost for evaluation owing to unexpected sudden death, no patients had experienced myocardial infarction, 17 patients (74%) were free of angina, two patients were in NYHA class I and four in NYHA class II. All patients showed an improvement in relation to their preoperative condition. Two asymptomatic patients refused recatheterization, while 21 patients had a control angiographic study. 25 of 34 grafts to endarterectomized vessels were open (patency 74%) compared with 41 of 45 grafts to non-endarterectomized arteries (patency 91%). We find the angiographic and functional results acceptable and they should be acknowledged with reference to patients with diffuse distal coronary artery disease, many of whom would otherwise be considered inoperable.