To evaluate the influence of coronary artery disease (CAD), we reviewed 102 patients who underwent elective repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) between 1982 and 1992. Prior to surgery, all patients underwent clinical evaluation for the presence of CAD including dipyridamole thallium scintigraphy. They were classified into the following groups: Group I (n = 66), no clinical evidence of CAD; Group II (n = 26), clinical evidence of stable CAD; Group III (n = 10), unstable CAD. Coronary angiography (CAG) was performed in group II and group III patients only. All patients in group I and group II underwent elective repair of their AAA without coronary revascularization. Eight patients in group III underwent CABG followed by elective AAA repair within two months. One of two patients who had impending ruptured AAA underwent combined CABG and AAA repair as a single operation and the other underwent AAA repair followed by CABG. One case of perioperative myocardial infarction occurred in group II, but there was no early postoperative death related to cardiac disease in group I and II. In group III, however one patient who underwent combined surgery died of low-output syndrome in the early postoperative period, no death or myocardial infarction occurred following staged operation in the other nine patients. This present results support the contention that CAG is not necessary in all AAA patients, and that they can be managed according to appropriate risk by a selective approach based upon clinical assessment of their CAD. It is also apparent that a staged operation can be performed very safely in patients with unstable CAD.