ABSTRACT
Introduction Long-term follow-up of patients after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) has shown that angina may eventually recur in up to 8% of patients annually1-3 due to graft stenoses or occlusions4-6 or progression of disease within the native coronary arteries.7-9 Approximately 20%, 30% and 50% of saphenous vein grafts have significant disease or are occluded at 1, 5 and 10 years after surgery4-6,10-15 and although 90% of IMA grafts may be patent at 10 years, stenoses are not infrequently encountered much earlier. As the frequency of CABG surgery has increased, repeat intervention has become necessary more often (perhaps 10-15% of post CABG patients within 10 years)16 and includes repeat surgery or catheterbased intervention by PTCA, atherectomy or stenting.
