Aortocoronary bypass: early results of operations in community hospitals of greater new Orleans
Richter, M.A.; Dhurandhar, R.; O'Meallie, L.P.; Rosenberg, M.; Glancy, D.L.
Southern Medical Journal 70(9): 1052-1054
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0038-4348 PMID: 302486 Document Number: 115306
All 588 aortocoronary bypass operations performed in the community hospitals of greater New Orleans before 1974 are reported. Hospital mortality averaged 8.7% (4.3% for one bypass; 6.4% for two; 10.3% for three or more; 26% when bypass was combined with another cardiac procedure). Mortality ranged from 5% to 31% among ten surgical groups and from 0 to 20% among seven community hospitals. Men over 60 had excessive mortality (25%). The incidence of major nonfatal complications (myocardial infarction in 12.8% of patients, intraventricular conduction defects in 9.6%, significant arrhythmias in 10.7%, and complications requiring reoperation in 9.5%) also varied with the surgical group, the complexity of the procedure, the patient's age, and the hospital. As determined by these four factors, results of bypass operations in the community hospitals of greater New Orleans ranged from excellent to poor.