Abstract
It has been recommended that the evaluation of coronary artery disease should be performed before valve surgery. This recommendation is based on the observation that coronary artery disease may be an appreciable cause of morbidity and mortality after valve surgery. ACC/AHA joint committee released the guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of coronary artery disease in patients with valvular heart disease. However, these guidelines are derived from the data of western developed countries, and there is very limited data in Korean adult patient unfortunately. The incidence of coronary artery disease is relatively low and concomitant coronary bypass surgery with valve surgery is less frequently performed in Korea compared to US. Because the characteristics of patients were quite different than US including age, sex, the cause of valve disease, therefore the optimal strategies for diagnosis in Korean adult patient is necessary.
