Elective preoperative use of intra aortic balloon counterpulsation in high risk group of coronary artery disease patients to facilitate off pump surgery

Background To avoid the deleterious effects of cardio-pulmonary bypass, off pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery (OPCABG) is increasingly the procedure of choice in the majority of patients needing myocardial revascularization. However patients at high operative risk are sometimes not given the advantage of off pump surgery because of haemodynamic deterioration during displacement of the heart to access the target vessels, or deterioration per se due to the factor causing the high risk (eg unstable hemodynamics) leading to institution of cardio-pulmonary bypass (CPB). Preoperative intraaortic balloon counterpulsation (IABC) therapy improves cardiac performance and facilitates the access to the anastomotic site during off pump coronary artery bypass grafting while maintaining haemodynamic stability. Methods Two hundred and twelve patients for isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) between June 2000 and June 2006 were studied in whom preoperative IABC was instituted. Initially, the trial was started in two groups and patients were computer randomized to ‘IABC’ and ‘No IABC’ groups. The trial was abandoned after 15 cases in each group, because of the adverse outcomes in ‘No IABC’ group. Left main stenosis was present in 31.1%, triple vessel disease in 87.7%, recent myocardial infarction in 21.2%, 35.8% were hypertensive, and 32% were diabetic. Results Out of 212 cases in whom preoperative IABC was instituted OPCABG was possible in the majority (88.2%), while of 15 cases in ‘No IABP’ group all CABG were done on CPB. Mortality and average stay in ICU was markedly lower in patients where IABC was instituted preoperatively. Conclusions Elective preoperative IABC in patients with high-risk coronary artery disease permits OPCABG in the majority, reduces the ICU stay, leads to earlier weaning from intra aortic balloon pump (IABP), reduces the morbidity and mortality, and is more economical.