The authors studied 115 surgical cases of calcific aortic stenosis (AS) with coronary angiography. Between 1970 and 1981, 56 of these patients also had one or more aortocoronary bypass grafts (ACBG) (Group I). The other 59 cases, recruited from 1978 to 1981, comprise the control group who underwent isolated aortic valve replacement either with a normal coronary angiogram (Group II: 50 cases) or with such extensive coronary artery disease that ACBG was impossible (Group III: 9 cases). 93% of patients in Group I had preoperative angina compared to 80% in Group II and 78% in Group III. The incidence of previous myocardial infarction was 19%, 4% and 44% respectively. The number of main coronary arterial lesions per patient was 2 in Group I and 1.8 in Group III. In Group I, aortic valve replacement (AVR) was associated with a single aorto-coronary bypass in 70% of cases, a double bypass in 27% and a triple bypass in 3% of cases. The revascularisation ratio was 1.3 bypass per patient. The number of "complete" revascularisations rose from 56% (1970-1976) to 73% from 1977 to 1981. Overall hospital mortality per group (less than 1 month) was 16%, 4% and 0% respectively. The mortality rate in Group I fell from 31% (1970-1976) to 10% from 1977 to 1981. The perioperative rate of myocardial infarction in each group was 9%, 0% and 11% respectively. This figure fell considerably in Group I from 12.5% (1970-1976) to 7.5% from 1977 to 1981.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)