Coronary Artery Graft Disease

In patients with coronary artery disease, surgical revascularization with arterial or venous bypass grafts not only relieves symptoms, but also prolongs life. The result of such interventions, however, is frequently impaired by graft dysfunction and occlusion. This monograph highlights the clinical importance of coronary artery bypass graft disease and, in particular, the use of modern diagnostic techniques to assess graft structure and function. The molecular and cellular mechanisms of coronary bypass graft disease are extensively discussed with several chapters devoted to prophylactic medical therapy. The indication, technique and results of reinterventions with balloon angioplasty, reoperation or transplantation in patients with graft failure are also reviewed.