A systematic review 1 including 8 cohort studies of CABG vs. medical treatment with a total of 1 264 patients with an ejection fraction under 40% and angina undergoing CABG and 1 431 similar patients receiving medical treatment was abstracted in DARE. CABG appeared to improve survival compared to medical treatment, with a likely mortality reduction of between 30% and 50%. CABG also resulted in improved functional outcome, assessed as either improvement in ejection fraction or decrease in NYHA class. Operative mortality ranged from about 5% in patients younger than 60 years with mild heart failure without comorbid conditions to more than 30% in patients older than 70 years with severe ventricular dysfunction and comorbid conditions.
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