Prophylactic Use of Implanted Cardiac Defibrillators in Patients at High Risk for Ventricular Arrhythmias after Coronary-Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Abstract

Patients with coronary heart disease, left ventricular dysfunction, and abnormalities on signal-averaged electrocardiograms have an increased risk of sudden death. We evaluated the effect on survival of the prophylactic implantation of cardioverter–defibrillators in such patients at the time of coronary-artery bypass surgery.