Long-term graft patency (3 years) after coronary artery surgery : effects of aspirin : results of a VA cooperative study

The long-term success of coronary bypass surgery is dependent on graft patency after surgery. This trial was designed to determine if aspirin improved saphenous vein graft or internal mammary artery (IMA) graft patency between 1 and 3 years after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). After receiving aspirin 325 mg/d for 1 year after CABG and undergoing a 1-year postoperative cardiac catheterization, patients were randomized to receive either aspirin (325 mg) or placebo for 2 additional years. Angiography was performed 3 years after surgery to determine the primary end point-saphenous vein graft patency in 288 patients and IMA graft patency in 167 patients. At 3 years after CABG, the saphenous vein graft occlusion rate was 17.0% (62 of 365) for patients treated with aspirin compared with 19.7% (74 of 376) for those who received placebo (P = .404). For saphenous vein grafts that were patent at 1 year, the occlusion rate at 3 years was 4.8% (15 of 313) for patients treated with aspirin compared with 4.2% (13 of 310) for patients who received placebo (P = .757). At 3 years, the IMA graft occlusion rate was 10.3% (8 of 78) for patients treated with aspirin compared with 7.9% (7 of 89) for patients who received placebo (P = .594). For IMA grafts that were patent at 1 year, the occlusion rate was 4.3% (3 of 70) for patients treated with aspirin compared with 2.5% (2 of 81) for patients who received placebo (P = .541). These data suggest that aspirin treatment does not improve saphenous vein graft or IMA graft patency between 1 and 3 years after CABG.