The probability of closure in aortocoronary vein bypass grafts
A. A. Rimm, S. Blumlein, J. J. Braboriak, A. J. Anderson, J. A. Walker and W. D. Johnson
A study of 540 patients who had the aortocoronary vein bypass operation
(from several transplant teams) showed that grafts within a patient closed
independently of one another during the first-two year postoperative
period. For patients with a single vein graft, there was a 23% chance of
closure during the first two year postoperative period. The chance that all
grafts would close during this period for patients with two grafts was 5%,
and it was 1% for patients with three grafts. The knowledge of these
closure probabilities may be used by the surgeon when planning the optimal
surgical maneuver.
