Postoperative Coronary Artery Occlusion

For some years we have been impressed by the association of operation and coronary artery occlusion in patients over 50 years of age. In our previous papers¹evidence was presented indicating that there was no relationship between the onset of coronary occlusion and exertion, excitement, meals, rest and the like. Operation, on the other hand, was considered probably a precipitating factor. In order to investigate this problem more fully we have collected records of all cases of postoperative occlusion observed at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York during the years 1931 to 1937. They emphasize the importance of operation in inducing occlusion, and the following analysis attempts to determine which elements of the surgical procedure lead to it. The association of operation and coronary artery occlusion has been stressed in the past only by Saphir and his associates.²Several authors³have stated that coronary occlusion in