Between January 1979 and January 1992, 1071 coronary bypass graft reoperations were performed at the Heart Institute and Beneficencia Portuguesa Hospital. Of these, 1015 were reoperated upon once, 53 twice and 3 three times. The surgeries were due to spread of coronary atherosclerosis in 117 patients (10.9%), partial or total graft occlusion in 183 (17.1%), combination of the prior factors in 728 (67.9%), technical problems in 21 (1.9%), and others in 22 (2.1%). The patients ages varied from 34 to 84 years (mean 61.6), predominantly male (86.1%) and Caucasian (96.5%). The period between the first and second operations varied from the same day to 22 years after (mean 9,3%), the second and third from one to 11 years (mean 8.0) and between the third and fourth seven to nine years (mean 7.7). During the surgical procedures: one mammary artery in 610 (56.9%) cases, both mammary arteries in 192 (17.9%), gastroepiploic arteries in six (0.6%) and epigastric arteries in five (0.5%) were used. In 813 (75.9%) of the 1071 reoperations at least one arterial graft was employed in the coronary bypass grafts. There were 87 (8.1%) hospital deaths in this period, of which 39 (44.8%) were directly related to ventricle dysfunction, and 48 (55.2%) caused by other complications: pulmonary 22, sepsis 8, coagulation 7, neurologic 6 and mesenteric ischemia 5. The principal factors associated to mortality were: I) preoperative risk factors were: diabetes, hypertension, high colesterol, obesity, smoking, hereditary history, etc.; 731 patients presented up to two risk factors with 35 deaths (4.8%); 299 presented three or four with 38 (12.7%) deaths and in 4 patients there were five or more risk factors, with 14 (34.1 %) deaths; 2) preoperative functional class: 317 were in class I or II, 11 (3.5%) of which died; 449 were in class III, 39 (8.7%) having died; and 305 in class IV with 46 (15.1%) deaths. Triarterial vessels compromised associated or not to main trunk lesion: 788 presented this complication, of which 74 (9.4%) died. Among 283 characterized by uni or biarterial lesions, 13 (4.3%) having died; 3) surgery status: 110 emergency operations with 35 deaths (31.8%), 961 elective surgeries 52 (5.4%) having died. In the last two years, however, 379 coronary bypass graft reoperations were performed with only 13 deaths (3.5%). This decreased in mortality in relation to the preceding years was attributed, among other factors, to the improved methods of myocardial protection, especially in patients with worse ventricle condition. It was also emphasized in the last two years the arterial graft usage in the reoperations. Mean usage of at least one arterial graft in the reoperations was 82.2%. It is strongly believed that the best results can be reached through adequate surgical handling, increased employment of the arterial graft and especially avoiding emergency situations by earlier reoperation.
myocardial revascularization