Background The role of coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the treatment of patients
with coronary artery disease and heart failure has not been clearly established. Methods
Between July 2002 and May 2007, a total of 1212 patients with an ejection fraction of 35% or
less and coronary artery disease amenable to CABG were randomly assigned to medical
therapy alone (602 patients) or medical therapy plus CABG (610 patients). The primary
outcome was the rate of death from any cause. Major secondary outcomes included the …

The effects of coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with left ventricular dysfunction (left
ventricular ejection fraction of less than 45 percent) on survival, symptoms, left ventricular
ejection fraction, and regional left ventricular function were prospectively assessed in 34
patients. Left ventricular function was serially assessed by nuclear angiocardiography.
Operative mortality was 9 percent, and mortality during the follow-up period was 10 percent.
Twenty of 21 patients with class III or IV anginal symptoms preoperatively improved by at …