Joint Statement of the Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and the Korean Society for Coronary Artery Surgery on Chapter 7.1 in the 2021 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions Guideline for Coronary Artery Revascularization

Abstract

The Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and the Korean Society for Coronary Artery Surgery would like to acknowledge the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (ACC/AHA/ SCAI) Guideline for Coronary Artery Revascularization Committee for their accomplishments in formulating a new guideline for coronary artery revascularization [1]. The guideline has reflected the necessary and relevant issues of coronary artery revascularization. Notwithstanding, the guideline has led to controversies by downgrading coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) from the class of recommendation (COR) I to COR IIb in patients with stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD), normal left ventricular ejection fraction, and three-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD), as presented in chapter 7.1. The downgrading of the COR for CABG in these patients prompted The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) and The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) to declare that they do not endorse the 2021 ACC/AHA/SCAI Guideline for Coronary Artery Revascularization [2]. Meanwhile, cardiac surgery societies from around the world have issued docuhttps ments that support the AATS/STS statement [3-5] © 2022, The Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery