Stenosis of the supraaortic branches combined with coronary artery disease: one-stage surgical treatment.

Combined one-stage surgery of the supraaortic branches and the coronary arteries was performed on 17 consecutive patients, 13 men and 4 women, having a mean age of 56.7 +/- 8 years. Angina pectoris was the primary symptom in all patients. Signs of cerebro-vascular insufficiency were present in 4 cases, 2 with syncopies, one with amaurosis fugax, and one with drop-out symptoms. All patients were invasively examined. Coronary angiogram verified triple vessel disease in 13 cases, double vessel disease in 3 and single vessel disease in one. Angiography of the carotid artery proved unilateral disease in 11 patients, in 5 both sides were either stenosed or occluded. One patient had a left-sided proximal 80% lesion of the subclavian artery. In all cases, the supraaortic branches were done first, followed by revascularization of the coronary artery system. All patients survived the early postoperative course; one died suddenly 33 months after operation. After 16.8 +/- 14 months, 11 out of 15 patients felt much better. Signs of cerebro-vascular insufficiency were not present. Our conclusion: one-stage surgery of the supraaortic branches and the coronary arteries would seem justified. A list of indications is presented.