Last updated: 11/24/2009

The risk of death during coronary artery bypass graft surgery is 2–3%.

In 5–10% of coronary artery bypass graft surgeries, the bypass graft stops supplying blood to the bypassed artery within one year. Younger people who are healthy except...

for the heart disease achieve good results with bypass surgery. Patients who have poorer results from coronary artery bypass graft surgery include those over the age of 70, those who have poor left ventricular function, are undergoing a repeat surgery or other procedures concurrently, and those who continue smoking, do not treat high cholesterol or other coronary risk factors, or have another debilitating disease.

Over the long term, symptoms recur in only about 3–4% of patients per year. Five years after coronary artery bypass graft surgery, survival expectancy is 90%, at 10 years it is about 85%, at 15 years it is about 55%, and at 20 years it is about 40%.

Angina recurs in about 40% of patients after 10 years. In most cases, it is less severe than before the surgery and can be controlled with drug therapy. In patients who have had vein grafts, 40% of the grafts are severely obstructed 10 years after the procedure. Repeat coronary artery bypass graft surgery may be necessary, and is usually less successful than the first surgery.