Citations 2
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: History, Landmark Trials, and the Evolution of Surgical Practice
Nguyen, Darren, Khalid, Arbab , Tak, Nadia, Cyrus, Tillmann, Hartnett, Sigurd, Tak, Tahir
International Journal of Angiology | March 24, 2026 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available
Abstract Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the United States. It remains the gold standard of coronary artery revascularization despite the introduction of percutaneous coronary interventions and advancements in medical therapy. First conceptualized in the 1900s, CABG underwent decades of trials, experimentation, innovations, and even failures. Despite the challenges, CABG continued to innovate, overcoming the complexities of coronary artery disease and improving patient outcomes. This manuscript aims to discuss the beginnings, evolution, and future of CABG.
Enhanced External Counterpulsation Outcomes Study: Retrospective Analyses of Data Obtained from Patients at a Single Medical Center in United States
Akula, Ashok , Grafft, Heidi, Tak, Nadia, Haberman, Douglas A., Tak, Tahir , Grafft, Heidi R, Haberman, Doug
International Journal of Angiology | March 30, 2024 | Volume: 33 | Issue: 03 | Pages: 182-188
AbstractThe aim was to explore the effectiveness of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) therapy in patients with severe angina pectoris/ chronic heart failure symptoms, who were not suitable candidates for invasive treatment. This retrospective study employed a comprehensive methodology that includes individualized treatment, continuous monitoring, and thorough pre- and postprogram evaluations to assess the efficacy of EECP therapy. The standard protocol involved 35 one-hour treatments, with flexibility for extensions based on therapeutic progress. When pre- and posttreatment results were analyzed, EECP improved the original functional class compared with pretreatment. The mean difference in the functional class was 1.32 (0.92), p < 0.0001. Six-minute walk (6MW) distance improved from 383.6 m (110.24) to 423.1 m (121.50) with mean difference of 37.1 (44.99), p < 0.0001. Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) score improved from 3.9 (2.75) to 6.0 (4.17) with mean difference of 2.16 (3.8), p < 0.0001. Training metabolic equivalents (METs) improved from 3.0 (0.74) to 4.0 (1.57) with mean difference of 1.04 (1.2), p < 0.0001. Weekly anginal events decreased from 13.1 (13.19) to 3.2 (7.38) with mean difference of –9.78 (11.7), p < 0.0001. EECP resulted in improvement of angina pectoris functional class, the 6MW distance, reduction in the number of hospitalizations in first year posttreatment, a significant decrease in sublingual nitroglycerin use, improvement of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and improvement of DASI score.