Failure to visualize LAD angiographically is a debatable condition in coronary bypass surgery. In our
clinic, 52 patients underwent CABG operation with
no visualization of distal LAD. They were classified
according to the intraoperative findings: Group I (44
patients 84.6 %) with suitable LAD luminal diameter,
Group II (8 patients 15.4 %) with unsuitable luminal
diameter which couldn't be revascularized using
conventional bypass techniques. In group I; patients
are younger, the percentage of male patients is higher (72.8 % versus 12.5 %) and left ventricular functions are better. advanced age, female gender, poor
left ventricular functin, hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus and extracardiac atherosclerosis were found to be
the risk factors for diffuse obliteration of distal LAD.
Global operative mortality is 5.7 %. In a follow-up
period of 11±3 months there was no recurrence of
angina and left ventricular functions improved by
this time.
This is the first review of coronary bypass
operation in patients with invisible LAD on angiography. We believe that inability to visualize distal
portion of occluded LAD shouldn't be a contraindication to coronary bypass operation.