ORIGINAL ARTICLES  CARDIAC SECTION 

The Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 2007 February;48(1):67-72

Copyright © 2007 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Coronary revascularization in transition from on-pump to off-pump: the effect of the off-pump coronary artery bypass on medium-term outcome

Gal J., Grattan A., Kertai M. D., Smith A., Shaw A. D., Royston D., Riedel B. J.

Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, Harefield Middlesex, UK

Aim. We previously reported that early patient outcome, chiefly ischaemic injury, was reduced in patients allocated to off pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery. This report concerns the medium-term outcome for this cohort of patients.
Methods. A prospective observational study was carried out in a single cardiothoracic specialty hospital. Forty-four patients scheduled for elective multivessel coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery using either off pump (OPCAB) (n=21) or on pump (cardiopulmonary bypass, CPB) (n=23) were included in the study. Data on the symptoms, quality of life, need for cardiovascular therapy, and occurrence of cardiovascular events or death among patients at 6- and 12-months after surgery were collected by a patient questionnaire and reviewing the medical charts.
Results. Compared with patients who underwent CPB surgery, OPCAB patients required a smaller increase in cardiovascular medication (5.6% versus 47.1%; P=0.007) at the 6-month follow-up and demonstrated a trend toward improved symptoms (dyspnea at 6 months, 0, range 0-4 versus 1, range 0-4; P=0.03) and quality of life (Duke Activity Status Index at 6 months, 20.8+5.6 versus 19+6.8; P=0.13). No differences in the incidence of cardiologic intervention or mortality were observed between groups.
Conclusion. The trend toward improved medium-term outcome variables among patients treated with OPCAB may have owed to the reduced cardiac ischemic injury associated with OPCAB compared with CPB.