Coronary-Artery Bypass Surgery in Patients with Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Among patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, coronary-artery bypass grafting added to medical therapy led to significantly lower rates of death from any cause and of cardiovascular death over 10 years than did medical therapy alone. Advances in the management of cardiovascular risk factors and acute coronary syndromes have increased survival among patients with coronary artery disease, transforming it into a chronic disease that affects 15.5 million U.S. patients; however, coronary artery disease still accounts for more than 538,000 deaths yearly in the United States alone. 1 The major long-term manifestations of coronary artery disease, left ventricular dysfunction, and heart failure are projected to affect 8 million patients by 2030, which has enormous societal implications. 1 Landmark clinical trials have established coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) as an effective treatment for patients with disabling angina symptoms. 2 – 4 In these . . .