Surgery for angina pectoris--historical aspects.

The history of surgery for ischemic heart disease is presented beginning with procedures to ablate nerves to the heart in the early part of this century. The evolution of surgical techniques to primary coronary artery bypass grafting is illustrated. Included are subtotal thyroidectomy, pedicle grafting of muscle, omentum, lung, stomach, and jejunum to the pericardium and heart, cardiopericardiopexy, ligation of the great cardiac vein, grafting from aorta to coronary sinus, implantation of arteries into the myocardium, coronary artery bypass grafting, and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.