From 1967 through 1973, 80 consecutive patients underwent simultaneous aortic valve replacement (AVR) and coronary bypass grafting. Fourteen (18%) experienced no angina pectoris and had no history or electrocardiographic evidence of coronary atherosclerosis. Seven of these 14 had severe multiple vessel disease. All operations were performed under normothermic conditions without coronary perfusion. Seven patients (9%) died during operation. Intra-operative myocardial infarction was documented in eight (10%). After a mean follow-up of 35 months, overall mortality was highest in aortic regurgitation patients [seven of 13 (54%)] compared to aortic stenosis [17 of 54 (31%)] (P less than 0.07), and mixed pathology [1 of 13 (8%)]. Thirty-one of 34 (91%) grafts in 25 patients were patent an average of 12 months postoperatively. After 42 months a 65% actuarial survival was found in the combined AVR and graft(s) series versus a 76% survival in 300 AVR patients proven by angiography not to have severe coronary atherosclerosis.