Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was performed in 16 patients with impaired left ventricular function due to ischemic heart disease (IHD) and the surgical procedures and cardiac functions before and after operation were studied. Preoperative angiogram showed three vessel disease in all patients. The ejection fraction was less than 40% in all and the mean cardiac index (CI) was 1.97l/min/m². At operation arterial graft was used in 10 patients (Group-AG) and no arterial graft but saphenous vein graft was used in 6 patients (Group-SVG). The average total cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross clamping time and the number of revascularized vessels in both groups showed no significant differences. However, intraaortic balloon pumping was necessitated in one of Group-SVG and the requirement of postoperative catecholamine was in higher ratio in Group-SVG than in Group-AG. Postoperative CI improved to 3.1±0.4l/min/m² and 3.3±0.3 l/min/m² in Group-AG and Group-SVG, respectively. The postoperative New York Heart Association Functional Class improved to Class I or II in all patients and there were no significant differences of the improvement between the groups. Conclusively, it seems that the arterial grafts can be used safely and extensively in CABG for impaired left ventricular function due to IHD.

Thirty six patients with post-infarction complications underwent operation, and the postoperative and late follow-up results were analyzed. There were post-infarction ventricular septal perforation (VSP) in 9 patients and left ventricular aneurysm formation in 27 patients. The operative indications were poor physical work capacity in 13, cardiogenic shock or severe congestive heart failure in 10, left ventricular thrombus in 7, severe ventricular arrhythmia in 6, and repeated angina in 6. Left ventricular aneurysmectomy was performed in 14 patients and VSP closure was in 8. Coronary arteries were simultaneously bypassed in 14 patients. Three patients were died of sudden postoperative arrhythmia 10 days, 55 days and four years after operation. All survivors except two patients with preoperative massive cerebral infarction or prolonged heart failure were in New York Heart Association Class I or II in their late postoperative periods. However, five patients in whom the significant coronary lesion had not been bypassed or the bypassed grafts had occluded complained of mild angina after operation. Postoperative arrhythmia was one of major factors in the late results and simultaneous coronary artery bypass grafting was important to improve the symptoms in the late postoperative periods.