In this study, w e examined the clinical outcome of coronary endarterectomy. From 1990 t o 1998, 4839 patients underwent surgical revascularization. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) was performed alone on 4516 patients, was combined with right coronary artery endarterectomy (RCA-E) in 242 patients, and was combined with left anterior descending coronary artery endarterectomy (LAD-E) in 81 patients. An analysis of preoperative variables revealed a higher proportion of males (90.79' 0 vs 80.2%, p < 0.001), of patients with low ejection fraction (< 35%; 4.69' 0 vs 1.796, p < 0.001), and of three-vessel disease (47.9% vs 3696, p < 0.001) in the RCA-E versus the CABG patients. There was a higher proportion of unstable angina (51.9% vs 40.3%, p = 0.04) in the LAD-E patients. The 30-day mortality rate for CABG was 2% versus 2.5% for RCA-E and 3.7% for LAD-E (p = NS). Perioperative myocardial infarction (MI) rate for CABG was 3.49/0 versus 7.00/0 for RCA-E (p < 0.001) and 4.996 for LAD-E patients (p = NS). Postoperative l o w cardiac output syndrome was recorded in 11.596 of CABG, 18.6% of RCA-E (p = O.Ol), and 11.1 YO of LAD-E (p = NS) patients. Predictors of postoperative bad outcome (death, MI, low cardiac output, cerebrovascular accident) were preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump, repeat operation, ejection fraction of < 350/, renal insufficiency, female gender, RCA-E, and age over 70. Protective factors included the use of internal mammary artery, multiple arterial grafts, and warm cardioplegia. Actuarial analysis at 6,12, and 24 months showed late mortality rates of 0.8%, 1.3%, and 2.19' 0 for CABG; 1.2%, 3.7%, and 3.7% for RCA-E; and 2.9%, 2.996, and 2.9% for LAD-E, respectively. Late MI occurrence was 0.4%. 0.49/0, and 0.7% for CABG; 1.5%, 1.5%. and 2.7% for RCA-E; and 0% for LAD-E, respectively. Multivariate analysis found renal insufficiency, ejection fraction of < 3556, repeat operation, female gender, New York Heart Association functional class IV, and diabetes to be predictors for late adverse events (recurrence of angina, MI, and cardiac death), and RCA-E was found to be a predictor of late MI. We conclude that the use of coronary endarterectomy to achieve complete revascularization in patients with diffuse distal coronary artery disease is a reasonable option, associated with a minimal addition in complication rates. (J Card Surg 1999;14: 16-25) In most patients undergoing coronary artery by-Address for correspondence: Bernard S. Goldrnan, M.D., Dipass graft surgery (CABG), a discrete or segmenvision of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Science Center, 2075 Bayview Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M4N 3M5 tal proximal coronary Canada. Fax: 001-416-4806072. quately treated by bypass to the relatively *These two authors contributed equally to the article. nondiseased distal portion of the vessel. Several can be J CARD SURG 1999;14:16-25 ABRAHAMOV, ET AL. 17 ENDARTERECTOMY OF RIGHT AND LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING CORONARY ARTERIES