Background: We sought to evaluate the impact of risk factors and characteristics of coronary arteries on surgical results of myocardial revascularization of the patients living around Van and regional cities.

Methods: We analyzed retrospectively 200 patients who underwent coronary bypass operation between January, 2000 and September, 2002 in Van Yüksek İhtisas Hospital. One hundred-sixtyfive patients (82.5%) were male and thirty-five (17.5%) were female with a mean age of 56 ± 9 years (range 28 to 76 years). Coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in 56 patients (28%) with off-pump technique.

Results: Hospital mortality was 6% with twelve patients. The mean number of bypassed grafts was 2.2 ± 0.8 (1-5). The rate of perioperative myocardial infarction was 6.5%, and intraaortic balloon pump was used in eleven patients (5.5%). Twenty patients (10%) received endarterectomy of at least one coronary artery. Preoperative risk factors associated with increased early mortality were recent postinfarction unstable angina pectoris, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, low left ventricular ejection fraction (< 40%) and severe ischemic mitral regurgitation.

Conclusions: Coronary artery characteristics such as diffuse-multiple plaque involvement and small calibration or surgical techniques such as the length of endarterectomy and number of bypassed grafts were non-significant effect on early surgical mortality and morbidity of coronary revascularization in our patients.

Keywords : Coronary artery bypass, risk factors, endarterectomy, revascularization, off-pump