Coronary artery bypass at the University of the Orange Free State Medical School. Medium-term follow-up of the first 100 cases.

The increasing number of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery has made the investigation and evaluation of the results of the procedure imperative. The first 100 patients who underwent this type of surgery at the University of the Orange Free State Medical School were followed up for a period of 3-8 years in order to obtain a prognostic pattern. The results of the study indicate that the procedure carries a low mortality rate and that the medium- to long-term results are encouraging. Eighty-one per cent of the patients are still actively pursuing their usual daily activities and 50% are completely free of symptoms.