The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 87, 901-907, Copyright © 1984 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Improvement in aerobic and hemodynamic responses to exercise following aorta-coronary bypass grafting
KF Hossack, RA Bruce, TD Ivey, F Kusumi and T Kannagi
Preoperative and postoperative hemodynamic studies were performed during
exercise in 70 patients having aorta-coronary bypass grafting for the
treatment of angina. There was significant symptomatic improvement with 88%
of patients free of angina postoperatively. In patients with complete
revascularization there was a marked improvement during exercise in maximal
oxygen consumption, cardiac index, and maximal pressure-rate product. In
addition, there was a fall in pulmonary arterial pressure postoperatively.
In contrast, patients with incomplete revascularization showed a small but
insignificant rise in maximal oxygen consumption and cardiac index. The
major reason for the increase in cardiac index was a marked increase in
heart rate rather than a change in stroke index. In patients with complete
revascularization there was a significant increase in stroke work index at
maximal exercise.
