• Artur Lichtenberg, Uwe Klima, Hans Paeschke, Max Pichlmaier, Stefanie Ringes-Lichtenberg, Thorsten Walles, Heidi Goerler, and Axel Haverich.
• Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30623 Hannover, Germany. lichtenberg@thg.mh-hannover.de
• Ann. Thorac. Surg. 2004 Aug 1; 78 (2): 487-91.

BackgroundThe outcome in patients treated surgically for coronary artery disease is known to be influenced by the extent of the disease. Whether this factor also has an effect in patients undergoing isolated minimally invasive revascularization of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery using the internal thoracic artery (ITA) (MIDCAB) has not been looked at. Thus, this study sought to evaluate the impact of multivessel disease (MVD) on midterm outcome after MIDCAB.MethodsFrom 1996 to 1999, 411 patients received a MIDCAB at our institution and were now followed up. Isolated disease of the LAD (SVD -single vessel disease) was presented in 262 patients (63.7%) and 149 patients (36.3%) had MVD at the time of operation. The reasons for apparent incomplete revascularization in patients with MVD were very small target vessels (< 1.0-mm diameter), stenoses of less than 50%, distal localization of the stenoses, long-term patency after angioplasty, or an extensive risk for sternotomy and(or) cardiopulmonary bypass. The midterm outcome was evaluated by questionnaires sent to the patients and their physicians.ResultsThe mean follow-up was 29.4 +/- 11.1 months. The incidence of myocardial infarction was significantly higher in MVD as compared to SVD patients (8.1% vs 1.9%, p = 0.04). Patients with MVD had significantly more subsequent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (10.7% vs 5.3%, p = 0.049) and a similar number of repeat surgical revascularizations as compared to SVD patients. Patients with MVD had a significantly higher total 3-year mortality as compared to SVD patients by Kaplan-Meier estimate (8.7% vs 3.1%, relative risk [RR] = 2.56, p = 0.011). The 3-year cardiac mortality was significantly higher in patients with MVD as compared to SVD (4.0% vs 0.4%, RR = 9.48, p = 0.0054). After adjustment of baseline characteristics by Cox regression analysis, the 3-year risk of cardiac death was significantly higher in the MVD groups (RR = 2.2, confidence interval [CI] 95%: 1.8 to 4.65, p = 0.029).ConclusionsPatients with isolated disease of the LAD appear to benefit from ITA grafting in the form of a MIDCAB procedure. Here, it should be an approach of choice. The results show that MVD is an independent risk factor for outcome in patients undergoing a MIDCAB procedure. Nevertheless, the midterm morbidity and mortality in MVD patients after a MIDCAB procedure where the LAD is the only target vessel for interventional or surgical treatment is acceptable despite a higher morbidity than in SVD patients.

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