Operative Risk Factors in Patients with Left Main Coronary-Artery Disease

Abstract

To identify the factors associated with operative mortality, we evaluated clinical, angiographic, and surgical variables in 1172 patients with left main coronary-artery stenoses of at least 50 per cent, who underwent coronary-bypass procedures in the Collaborative Study in Coronary Artery Surgery (CASS). The operative mortality was 4.2 per cent overall and was less than 3 per cent in seven of the 15 participating hospitals. Historical variables associated with an increase in operative mortality were age, female sex, and duration and severity of angina.