Should coronary artery bypass be delayed following successful direct coronary artery streptokinase thrombolysis during evolving myocardial infarction?

The effect of deferring immediate coronary artery bypass was evaluated in two groups of similar patients having successful direct coronary artery thrombolysis with streptokinase in the treatment of evolving myocardial infarction. Within 6 hours of onset of myocardial infarction, 140 patients underwent immediate cardiac catheterization and infusion of intracoronary streptokinase up to 500,000 units. Of those patients having restoration of orthograde coronary blood flow coupled with immediate evidence of myocardial salvage, 31 patients (group I) had immediate coronary artery bypass and 34 patients (group II) had coronary artery bypass deferred.