Study of the risk factors related to early mortality following combined mitral valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting.

Combined mitral valve replacement (MVR) and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) operation was performed in 62 consecutive patients at the Wessex Cardiothoracic Centre, Southampton, from 1972 to 1983. There were 43 men and 19 women. The mean age was 61 years. Ten patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II, 34 in class III and 18 were in functional class IV. Mitral regurgitation was predominant in 50 patients and mitral stenosis in 12. Emergency operations were performed in 9 patients and elective operations in 53. There were 5 operative deaths (8.06%), 2 in patients having elective operations (2/53 = 3.7%) and 3 in those having emergency operations (3/9 = 33.3%). Significant factors related to early death were NYHA functional class, timing of surgery, etiology and type of valve lesion, increased pulmonary vascular resistance and low cardiac index.