Abstract
In every form of treatment, be it medical or surgical, it is necessary to evaluate the risk-benefit relationship. The performance of aortocoronary bypass operation in patients who are free from symptoms, apparently in good health, requires a particularly careful analysis of factors involved because the operation is primarily of prophylactic nature, that is, aimed at prevention of future problems. Justification for the performance of a major heart operation in an apparently well subject rests upon four assumptions:
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1.
Stenotic lesions in coronary arteries are inevitably and rapidly progressive.
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2.
As a corollary of the previous statement, patients with significant stenotic lesions are always at the high risk of acute myocardial infarction or sudden death.
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3.
Bypass operations successfully and reliably protect the patient from these disastrous events.
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4.
Clinical symptoms are unreliable as guidelines to myocardial ischemia.
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© 1979 Springer Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Selzer, A. (1979). Are There Indications for Surgery in Asymptomatic Patients?. In: Roskamm, H., Schmuziger, M. (eds) Coronary Heart Surgery. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-67295-8_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-67295-8_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-67297-2
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