Objective: To evaluate the long-term results of the coronary artery bypass grafting with exclusive use of arterial grafts for patients with triple vessel disease.
Methods: We evaluated 136 patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting between January 1995 and December 1997. 353 grafts were used for revascularization of 449 arteries (mean: 3.30 per patient). Grafts used were left internal thoracic artery (99.2%), right internal thoracic artery (56.6%), radial artery (87.5%), right gastroepiploic artery (20.5%) and one inferior epigastric artery. 76 (55.8%) patients received composite grafts ('Y' shape) and 66 (48.5%) patients received sequential anastomoses.
Results: Hospital mortality was 4.4%. In the long-term follow-up (9.5 to 12.8 years), 82.1% of the patients were free of cardiac events. 20 (17.9%) patients had hospital readmission due to cardiac events: 15 presented angina and five presented acute myocardial infarction, and three of them presented associated heart failure. Eighth (7.1%) patients needed coronary reintervention: one of them underwent coronary bypass reoperation and the others underwent coronary angioplasty with stent. Estimated probability of cardiac event-free was 98.2%, 95.4% e 84.2% at 1, 5 and 10 years follow-up respectively. There were 16 (14.2%) late deaths and four of them (3.6%) were cardiac-related. Actuarial 12.8-year-survival of all deaths was 85% in this group.
Conclusion: Coronary artery bypass grafting with exclusive use of arterial grafts is a safe procedure for patients with triple vessel coronary disease with good long-term results.