Atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass.

OBJECTIVE: Atrial fibrillation is the most common complication after heart surgery. It rarely has a fatal outcome but causes patient instability, prolongs hospital stay, or even is the reason for perioperative infarction. Although conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with cardiopulmonary bypass has excellent short-term and long-term results, the number of coronary operations on a beating heart without cardiopulmonary bypass is still growing. To reduce surgical trauma, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting via sternotomy (OPCABG) or minimally invasive direct vision coronary artery bypass grafting (MIDCABG) via small thoracotomy are performed. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of atrial fibrillation in patients after myocardial revascularization without cardiopulmonary bypass. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 48 patients undergoing myocardial revascularization without cardiopulmonary bypass was performed. Twenty-four patients underwent OPCABG and 24 were operated using the MIDCABG technique. The incidence of cardiac arrhythmias was analyzed since operation to the fourth postoperative day. Each patient had continuous ECG monitoring with option of arrhythmia analysis during ICU stay. After discharge from ICU 24-h ECG monitor studies were carried out. Surface 12-lead ECG was accomplished once a day, and additionally each time symptoms of cardiac arrhythmia occurred. Risk factors of atrial fibrillation were estimated. RESULTS: Atrial fibrillation occurred in 25% of patients after MIDCABG, in 29% after OPCABG, and in 18% after CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass. This difference has no statistical significance. Risk factors and incidence of postoperative complications were comparable in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Atrial fibrillation is a common complication after procedures of myocardial revascularization, performed with or without cardiopulmonary bypass. The occurrence is not dependent on the type of operation.     

Do off-pump techniques reduce the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting?

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is the most common postoperative complication in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with advancing age having been shown to have a significant association with its incidence. This study aims to assess whether off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) reduces the incidence of atrial fibrillation in elderly patients. METHODS: A meta-analysis of all observational studies reporting a comparison between the two techniques in elderly patients (> 70 years) between 1999-2003 was performed. The primary outcome of interest was the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation. The quality of each study was evaluated by examining three items: patient selection, matching of the off-pump and cardiopulmonary bypass patient groups, and assessment of outcome. Meta-regression analysis was undertaken to see the effects of study size and quality on the calculated odds ratio. RESULTS: Eight studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria, all of which were nonrandomized. In total the studies identified 3017 subjects, of which 764 had off-pump surgery (25%) and 2253 underwent cardiopulmonary bypass (75%). Meta-analysis showed that after off-pump surgery there was a significantly lower incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in these patients (odds ratio 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56-0.89). Meta-regression analysis including study characteristics did not show any associations affecting the calculated odds ratio of atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates a reduced incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in an elderly population with off-pump as compared with cardiopulmonary bypass techniques. We appreciate, however, that our statistical analysis uses nonrandomized published data and that the results must be treated with caution. If this finding is confirmed by a large-scale randomized trial, it has significant implications on the operative strategy employed for this patient group.     

Is atrial fibrillation caused by extracorporeal circulation?

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is the most common rhythm disturbance encountered after open heart operations, with a reported incidence up to 40%. Despite its high incidence and clinical relevance its etiology remains obscure. It has been hypothesized that atrial fibrillation might be related to extracorporeal circulation. We performed a retrospective study (January 1, 1997 to December 31, 1997) comparing the incidence of atrial fibrillation in 3 groups of patients revascularized with and without extracorporeal circulation. METHODS: The first group comprised patients with coronary artery disease operated on with standard revascularization technique with cardiopulmonary bypass (n = 685). The second group included patients who had minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting without the use of extracorporeal circulation (n = 19). Patients in the third group had off-pump transmyocardial laser revascularization (n = 19). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the incidence of atrial fibrillation in the group that had conventional coronary artery bypass and the group that had minimally invasive coronary artery bypass without cardiopulmonary bypass. The incidence of atrial fibrillation was significantly lower in the transmyocardial laser group compared with the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found that postoperative atrial fibrillation is not caused solely by extracorporeal circulation, but patients who had transmyocardial laser revascularization had a significantly lower incidence of atrial fibrillation.     

Fibrillation in patients subjected to coronary artery bypass grafting

OBJECTIVE: Atrial fibrillation is the most frequently encountered postoperative arrhythmic complication after coronary artery bypass grafting. Ischemic preconditioning has proved a potent endogenous factor in suppressing ischemia-reperfusion-induced arrhythmias. The protective effect of ischemic preconditioning on atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting has not been studied. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether ischemic preconditioning had an effect on postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: Eighty-five patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were randomized into ischemic preconditioning and control groups. Holter data from 24-hour electrocardiography were collected 1 day before the operation to the second postoperative day. Atrial fibrillation was registered as positive if any atrial fibrillation event occurred. RESULTS: The overall incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation and sustained atrial fibrillation was 34.1% and 27.1%, respectively. The occurrence of atrial fibrillation was significantly lower in the ischemic preconditioning group (21.4% in patients undergoing ischemic preconditioning and 46.5% in control subjects, P =.015). Preoperative recent unstable angina did not influence the incidence of atrial fibrillation. Patients with atrial fibrillation had longer intensive care unit stays and compromised postoperative hemodynamic outcomes. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that ischemic preconditioning, preoperative mean heart rate, and postoperative pulmonary capillary wedge pressure were the independent predictors of atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSIONS: Postcoronary artery bypass grafting atrial fibrillation is associated with more complicated postoperative outcome. Higher preoperative heart rate and postoperative pulmonary capillary wedge pressure were the independent predictors of atrial fibrillation. Recent unstable angina is not related to the occurrence of postcoronary artery bypass grafting atrial fibrillation. Ischemic preconditioning significantly suppresses postcoronary artery bypass grafting atrial fibrillation, suggesting that ischemic preconditioning can be used as an effective prophylactic method for postoperative atrial fibrillation.     

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting provides complete revascularization with reduced myocardial injury,transfusion requirements,and length of stay: a prospective randomized comparison of two hundred unselected patients undergoing off-pump versus conventional coronary artery bypass grafting

OBJECTIVE: Retrospective comparisons of selected patients undergoing off-pump versus conventional on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting have yielded inconsistent results and raised concerns about completeness of revascularization in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: Two hundred unselected patients referred for elective primary coronary artery bypass grafting were randomly assigned to undergo off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting with an Octopus tissue stabilizer (Medtronic, Inc, Minneapolis, Minn) or conventional coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass by a single surgeon. Revascularization intent determined before random assignment was compared with the revascularization performed. All management followed strict, unbiased, criteria-driven protocols. Patients and nonoperative care providers were blinded to surgical group. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar. The number of grafts performed per patient (mean +/- SD 3.39 +/- 1.04 for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, 3.40 +/- 1.08 for conventional coronary artery bypass grafting) and the index of completeness of revascularization (number of grafts performed/number of grafts intended, 1.00 +/- 0.18 for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, 1.01 +/- 0.09 for conventional coronary artery bypass grafting) were similar. Likewise, the index of completeness of revascularization was similar between groups for the lateral wall. Combined hospital and 30-day mortalities and stroke rates were similar. Postoperative myocardial serum enzyme measures were significantly lower after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, suggesting less myocardial injury. Adjusted postoperative thromboelastogram indices, fibrinogen, international normalized ratio, and platelet levels all showed significantly less coagulopathy after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting received fewer units of blood, were more likely to avoid transfusion altogether, and had a higher hematocrit at discharge. Cardiopulmonary bypass was an independent predictor of transfusion (odds ratio 2.42, P =.0073) by multivariate analysis. More patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting were extubated in the operating room and within 4 hours. Postoperative length of stay (in days) was shorter for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (5.1 +/- 6.5 for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, 6.1 +/- 8.2 for conventional coronary artery bypass grafting, P =.005 by Wilcoxon test). One patient (in the conventional coronary artery bypass grafting group) required angioplasty for graft closure within 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: When compared with conventional coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting achieved similar completeness of revascularization, similar in-hospital and 30-day outcomes, shorter length of stay, reduced transfusion requirement, and less myocardial injury.     

The association of patent foramen ovale and atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with considerable morbidity and increased resource utilization after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. In this study, we sought to determine whether patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal aneurysm are associated with an increased risk of postoperative AF in this patient population. We performed a database study on 1008 patients undergoing primary coronary artery bypass graft surgery. All patients were assessed for the development of postoperative AF from the day of surgery to hospital discharge. Atrial septal defects were identified during comprehensive intraoperative transesophageal echocardiographic examination. Postoperative AF was present in 124 (12.3%) patients. Patients with AF were significantly older and had a more frequent incidence of preoperative congestive heart failure, longer cross-clamp time, and prolonged hospital length of stay. PFO was present in 72 (7.1%) and atrial septal aneurysm in 23 (2.3%) patients. In these patients, postoperative AF was present in 14 (19.4%) patients with PFO and 8 (34.8%) patients with atrial septal aneurysm. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that PFO (odds ratio [OR], 1.95; 1.007-3.778; P = 0.047), age (OR, 1.03; 1.015-1.053; P = 0.0004), and history of congestive heart failure (OR, 2.55; 1.671-3.900; P < 0.0001) were predictive of postoperative AF. IMPLICATIONS: The presence of patent foramen ovale is associated with new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. This finding requires further validation in future prospective trials.     

Propensity case-matched analysis of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with atheromatous aortic disease

OBJECTIVE: Atheromatous aortic disease is a risk factor for excessive mortality and stroke in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Outcomes of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting and coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with severe atheromatous aortic disease were compared by propensity case-match methods. METHODS: Routine intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography identified 985 patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting with severe atheromatous disease in the aortic arch or ascending aorta. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in 281 patients (28.5%). Propensity matched-pairs analysis was used to match patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 245) with patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass. RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed decreased hospital mortality (16/245, 6.5% vs 28/245, 11.4%; P =.058) and stroke prevalence (4/245, 1.6% vs 14/245, 5.7%; P =.03) in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting compared with coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass. Freedom from any postoperative complication was higher in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting compared with coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass (226/245, 92.2% vs 196/245, 80.0%; P <.001). Multivariable analysis of preoperative risk factors showed that increased hospital mortality was associated with coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass (odds ratio = 2.7; P =.01), fewer grafts (P =.05), acute myocardial infarction (odds ratio = 11.5; P <.001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (odds ratio = 2.4; P =.03), previous cardiac surgery (odds ratio = 10.2, P =.05), and peripheral vascular disease (odds ratio = 2.1; P =.05). Cardiopulmonary bypass was the only independent risk factor for stroke (odds ratio = 3.6, P =.03). At 36 months' follow-up, comparable survival was observed in the off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting and coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass groups (74% vs 72%). Multivariable analysis revealed that renal disease (P <.001), advanced age (P <.001), previous myocardial infarction (P =.03), and lower number of grafts (P =.02) were independent risks for late mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with severe atherosclerotic aortic disease who undergo off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting have a significantly lower prevalence of hospital mortality, perioperative stroke, and overall complications than matched patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass. Routine intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography identifies severe atheromatous aortic disease and directs the choice of surgical technique.     

Incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing on-pump and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting

Objective

To determine the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing on-pump and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Methods

A retrospective study with analysis of 230 medical records between January 2011 and October 2013 was conducted.

Results

Fifty-six (24.3%) out of the 230 patients were female. The average age of patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting was 59.91±8.62 years old, and off-pump was 57.16±9.01 years old (P=0.0213). The average EuroSCORE for the on-pump group was 3.37%±3.08% and for the off-pump group was 3.13%±3% (P=0.5468). Eighteen (13.43%) patients who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting developed postoperative atrial fibrillation, whereas for the onpump group, 19 (19.79%) developed this arrhythmia, with no significant difference between the groups (P=0.1955).

Conclusion

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting did not reduce the incidence of atrial fibrillation in the postoperative period. Important predictors of risk for the development of this arrhythmia were identified as: patients older than 70 years old and presence of atrial fibrillation in perioperative period in both groups, and non-use of beta-blockers drugs postoperatively in the on-pump group.     

Perioperative magnesium supplementation to prevent atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery surgery: a randomized controlled study

OBJECTIVE: Atrial fibrillation is a common complication after cardiac surgery. Magnesium is an effective and safe antiarrhythmic agent for arrhythmias that develop after cardiac surgery. The authors performed a study to evaluate the role of perioperative magnesium for prophylaxis of atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery surgery. DESIGN: Randomized controlled study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixty consecutive patients undergoing elective, isolated, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting were prospectively randomized into 2 groups. INTERVENTIONS: Patients in the magnesium group (n = 80) received a 2.5-g (20 mEq) magnesium sulphate infusion intraoperatively over 30 minutes, and the placebo group (n = 80) received normal saline solution. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Postoperative atrial fibrillation occurred in 16 of 80 patients (20%) in the magnesium group and in 18 of 80 (22.5%) in the placebo group (p = 0.9). CONCLUSION: The use of 2.5 g of intraoperative magnesium showed no effect in preventing atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery bypass.     

Comparison of coronary bypass surgery with and without cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with multivessel disease

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery bypass grafting can now be performed with or without cardiopulmonary bypass. Our objective was to determine whether off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting is associated with better early outcomes compared with conventional coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: In 4 centers with off-pump coronary surgery experience, a retrospective analysis of all coronary artery bypass grafting in a 3-year period was performed. Groups were compared to determine selection criteria, mortality, and morbidity, then computer-matched by propensity score to control for selection bias. Multivariate logistic regression identified risk factors predictive of mortality. Specific subgroups most likely to benefit were identified. RESULTS: In all, 17,401 isolated coronary artery bypass grafts were performed, 7283 (41.9%) off-pump coronary artery bypass grafts and 10,118 (58.1%) conventional coronary artery bypass with cardiopulmonary bypass. Factors determining selection of patients for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting included female gender (55.5% vs 44.5%), preexisting renal failure (57.0% vs 43.0%), and reoperations (52.6% vs 47.4%). Operative mortality was 2.8%; off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting versus conventional coronary artery bypass with cardiopulmonary bypass (1.9% vs 3.5%, P <.001) had the same predicted risk. Of the patients with multivessel disease, 11,548 were matched by propensity scoring. Mortality was significantly less in the off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting group (2.8% vs 3.7%, P <.001). By multivariate logistic regression analysis of the matched sample, predictors for mortality were female gender (odds ratio 1.83, confidence interval 1.37-2.44), preexisting renal failure (odds ratio 2.85, confidence interval 2.64-4.95), history of stroke (odds ratio 1.74, confidence interval 1.08-2.80), previous coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (odds ratio 4.22, confidence interval 2.92-6.09), use of cardiopulmonary bypass (odds ratio 2.08, confidence interval 1.52-2.83), and recent myocardial infarction (odds ratio 2.31, confidence interval 1.68-3.22). Cardiopulmonary bypass was predictive of mortality in reoperations, female patients, and patients aged >or= 75 years. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting was associated with less morbidity, including reductions in blood transfusion (32.6% vs 40.6%, P <.001), stroke (1.4% vs 2.1%, P =.002), renal failure (2.6% vs 5.2%, P <.001), pulmonary complications (4.1% vs 9.5%, P <.001), reoperation (1.7% vs 3.2%, P <.001), atrial fibrillation (21.1% vs 24.99%, P <.001), and gastrointestinal complications (3.6% vs 4.8%, P =.02). CONCLUSION: In 4 centers with beating-heart operation experience, there is an overall early benefit in off-pump surgery, especially in patients traditionally considered at high risk for coronary artery bypass grafting.     

Atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting: does the type of procedure influence the early postoperative incidence?

OBJECTIVE: Atrial fibrillation (AF), the common postoperative complication, has been observed after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in 7--40% of patients. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), eliminated in off-pump operations (OPCABG) may decrease the incidence of AF, whereas the combination of CABG with heart valve replacement may result in more frequent postoperative atrial fibrillation. The aim of our study was to compare the early postoperative AF incidence rate during ICU stay in three groups of patients: after CABG, OPCABG, and CABG combined with valve replacement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective study of 906 consecutive patients was carried out between January 1999 and January 2000. Clinical profile of 906 patients, including factors having potential influence on postoperative AF did not showed any significant differences between the groups. The presence of arrhythmia history was the reason of excluding 85 patients from the statistical analysis. The observation was performed in each case during ICU-stay, using a HP system for continuous automated arrhythmia analysis. Early postoperative incidence of AF was recorded and compared between three groups of patients: 650 after conventional CABG, 118 after OPCABG, and 53 after CABG combined with valve replacement. Chi-square and a Mann--Whitney tests, Statistica 5.0 PL were used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: Atrial fibrillation occurred during the postoperative ICU stay in 9.8% of patients after CABG, in 10.2% after OPCABG, and in 21% after CABG combined with valve replacement. There was no significant difference between CABG and OPCABG groups (P=0.965). The confidence interval of the odds ratio ranges from 0.5 to 1.85. Consequently, an increased risk would be possible for both methods. We observed a statistically significant increase of the early postoperative atrial fibrillation incidence rate in patients after CABG combined with valve replacement, when compared with both CABG + OPCABG groups (P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: (1) Atrial fibrillation is a common postoperative complication after myocardial revascularization procedures which prolongs ICU stay. (2) The study did not show that the incidence of postoperative AF is influenced by the technique of coronary artery bypass grafting: with or without CPB. (3) The prevalence of postoperative AF increase when CABG is combined with valve replacement.     

Ineffectiveness and potential proarrhythmia of atrial pacing for atrial fibrillation prevention after coronary artery bypass grafting

BACKGROUND: Atrial pacing is often used empirically to suppress atrial ectopy and prevent atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: To determine whether atrial overdrive pacing reduces atrial fibrillation and atrial ectopy after coronary artery bypass grafting, 100 patients were randomized to no atrial pacing (Control) versus AAI pacing at 10 beats/min or more above the resting heart rate (Paced), started by postoperative day 1 and continued through day 4. Major end points were new atrial fibrillation and frequency of atrial ectopy during the first 4 days after coronary artery bypass grafting. RESULTS: Atrial fibrillation occurred by day 4 in 13 of 51 (25.5%) Paced and in 14 of 49 (28.6%) Control patients, p = 0.90. Control patients who developed atrial fibrillation had significantly more atrial ectopy than those who did not. Atrial ectopy was paradoxically more frequent in the Paced group (2,106+/-428 versus 866+/-385 per 24 hours, p = 0.0001). Loss of capture, sensing, and consistent atrial pacing occurred frequently during atrial pacing. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to prevailing opinion and practice, postoperative atrial overdrive pacing significantly increases atrial ectopy and does not reduce the likelihood of atrial fibrillation.     

On-pump versus off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: impact on postoperative renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy

BACKGROUND: Despite refinements in perioperative patient management postoperative renal failure requiring hemofiltration or dialysis is still a common complication after coronary artery bypass grafting associated with impaired patient outcome. METHODS: Prospective data on 9,631 patients receiving myocardial revascularization with (coronary artery bypass grafting [n = 8,870]) or without cardiopulmonary bypass (off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting [n = 761]) between April 1996 and August 2001 were evaluated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of postoperative continuous renal replacement therapy was 4.1% (coronary artery bypass grafting, 4.3%; off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, 1.8%; p = 0.001). Thirty of 40 selected preoperative and intraoperative patient and treatment related variables had a high association with the requirement for postoperative renal replacement therapy; fifteen of these variables were independent predictors in the whole study population. Off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery was identified as having a significantly lower predictive value for postoperative continuous renal placement therapy. In the subgroup of patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, a second multivariate logistic regression model revealed preoperative cardiogenic shock, urgent operation, intraoperative low cardiac output, and high transfusion requirement as independent predictors for postoperative renal replacement therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with preoperative nondialysis dependent renal insufficiency are at a high risk for further decline in renal function requiring postoperative continuous renal replacement therapy. Off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery is associated with a lower prevalence of postoperative renal replacement therapy after coronary artery bypass grafting.     

Beating heart surgery in octogenarians: perioperative outcome and comparison with younger age groups

BACKGROUND: Octogenarians have higher morbidity and mortality rates (9% to 16%) after coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass, compared with younger patients. METHODS: We compared the perioperative outcome and hospital stay after coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass (off-pump) from January 1987 to May 1999, among patients older than 80 years (n = 71), patients between 70 and 79 years (n = 228), and patients whose age ranged from 60 to 69 years (n = 296). In comparison with younger patients, more octogenarians were female (51% versus 39% in patients aged 70 to 79 years and 35% in those aged 60 to 69 years, p = 0.04), they had previous myocardial infarction more frequently (48% versus 47% versus 34%, respectively, p = 0.008), and were operated on urgently (69% versus 56% versus 52%, respectively, p = 0.04). RESULTS: Postoperative complications that were significantly higher in octogenarians compared with younger groups included pneumonia (6% in octogenarians versus 2% in patients aged 70 to 79 years and 0% in patients aged 60 to 69 years, p = 0.001) and atrial fibrillation (47% versus 32% versus 21%, respectively, p<0.001). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, age over 80 years was an independent predictor of prolonged hospital stay (odds ratio = 2.7, 95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 5, p<0.001). The in-hospital mortality rate was higher in octogenarians (6% versus 3% for 70 to 79 year-olds and 0.3% for 60 to 69 year-olds, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: When appropriately applied in patients older than 80 years, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting can be done with acceptable postoperative morbidity, mortality, and hospital stay.     

"Off-pump" coronary artery bypass grafting: the first one hundred cases of the Rose City experience.

BACKGROUND: In an effort to avoid the adverse effects of cardiopulmonary bypass, "off-pump" myocardial revascularization has been rediscovered and refined. This study reviews the first 100 off-pump coronary artery bypass procedures performed in Tyler, TX, and compares the results with those reported in the Seventh Annual Report of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Cardiac Surgery Database. METHODS: Coronary artery bypass was performed on 100 patients without cardiopulmonary bypass over a 24-month period. Postoperative morbidity, mortality, and length of stay were recorded. RESULTS: Operative mortality was 3%. The incidences of postoperative complications for the off-pump group versus the STS database were as follows: reoperation for bleeding, 1% vs 2.2%; transfused patients, 15% vs 35%; atrial fibrillation, 5% vs 18.2%; infection, 2% vs 1.3%; neurologic, 0% vs 5.1%; renal failure, 0% vs 3.12%; ventilation more than 1 day, 0% vs. 5.69%. The postoperative length of stay for the off-pump group versus the STS group was 4.4 vs 6.6 days. CONCLUSIONS: Early results suggest that off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting is a safe and effective means of coronary revascularization with excellent short-term results and minimal morbidity.     

Factors associated with postoperative atrial fibrillation and other adverse events after cardiac surgery

Objective

The study objective was to evaluate the impact of various surgical characteristics and practices on the risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation and other adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery.

冠状动脉旁路移植术后早期新发心房颤动的临床特征及影响因素分析

目的 探讨冠状动脉旁路移植术后新发心房颤动(房颤)的临床特征及影响因素.方法 回顾性分析2012年1月至2019年1月在我院行冠状动脉旁路移植术的339例患者的临床资料,其中男267例、女72例,年龄37～83(58.03±8.90)岁.分析术后新发房颤的临床特征及影响因素.结果 不停跳冠状动脉旁路移植(off-pum...     

Prediction of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting by measuring atrial peptide levels and preoperative atrial dimensions

Objective: We prospectively tested the hypothesis that atrial enlargement and increased level of atrial natriuretic peptide, N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide would predict atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods: Eighty-eight elective coronary artery bypass grafting patients had preoperative echocardiographic assessment. The level of atrial natriuretic peptide, N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide were measured preoperatively. Patients were ECG- monitored during the whole hospital stay. Results: Thirty one (35.2%) patients had postoperative atrial fibrillation. In univariate analysis increased age (P=0.003), enlargement of left and right atria (P=0.002 and P=0.004, respectively) and increased level of preoperative atrial natriuretic peptide and N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide (P=0.016 and P=0.03, respectively) were associated with postoperative atrial fibrillation. There was correlation between the age and level of N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide (r=0.45 and P<0.001). In multivariate analysis only age and the left atrial enlargement were independent predictors of postoperative atrial fibrillation (P=0.02 and P=0.01). Conclusion: Left atrial enlargement was independent predictor for postoperative atrial fibrillation. However, atrial peptides were associated with age and did not independently predict postoperative atrial fibrillation. In addition, the wide variation of the peptide levels renders the implementation of this measure in clinical practice superfluous.     

Evaluation of the effectiveness of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in high-risk patients: an observational study

Background. Coronary artery bypass grafting in high-risk patients carries substantial morbidity. We compared the effectiveness of off-pump revascularization with that of conventional coronary artery bypass grafting using cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic arrest in consecutive high-risk patients.

Methods. From April 1996 to December 2000, clinical data for consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery revascularization were prospectively entered into a database. Data were extracted for all patients considered to be high risk, defined as the presence of one or more of ten adverse prognostic factors. Hospital mortality and early morbidity were compared between two groups of patients, the on-pump and off-pump groups.

Results. The study group comprised 1,570 consecutive high-risk patients, 332 (21.1%) of whom underwent an off-pump operation. Patients in the on-pump group had fewer high-risk factors and lower Parsonnet scores and were less likely to be 75 years of age or older, to have peripheral vascular disease or hypercholesterolemia, or to have sustained a previous transient ischemic attack. However, they were more likely to be assigned to a higher Canadian Cardiovascular Society class and had more extensive coronary artery disease and were more likely to have unstable angina, to require urgent or emergency operations, and to receive more grafts than those undergoing off-pump procedures. Unadjusted odds ratios for intensive care unit or high-dependency unit stay, total length of stay, blood loss of more than 1,000 mL, postoperative hemoglobin and transfusion requirement all showed a highly significant benefit for the off-pump group (p ≤ 0.005; odds ratios, 0.33 to 0.65). After adjustment for prognostic variables, odds ratios remained essentially unaltered (adjusted odds ratio estimates 0.36 to p < 0.05) except for blood loss of more than 1,000 mL (adjusted odds ratio estimate, 0.82; p = 0.22). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings.

Conclusions. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting is safe, effective, and associated with reduced morbidity in high-risk patients compared with conventional coronary artery revascularization.     

The effects of steroids on the occurrence of postoperative atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery: a prospective randomized trial

OBJECTIVE: Atrial fibrillation remains one of the most common postoperative complications of coronary artery bypass grafting. Despite many clinical studies, there is still no consensus regarding the best prevention strategy for atrial arrhythmia. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to determine the effect of steroids on the occurrence of atrial fibrillation after elective coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: Eighty-eight consecutive patients were prospectively entered in this study. No patient had documented or suspected arrhythmias before surgery. Forty-three patients received 1 g of methylprednisolone before surgery and 4 mg of dexamethasone every 6 hours for 1 day after surgery, and 43 patients received only placebo. The primary end point was the overall occurrence of postoperative atrial fibrillation. RESULTS: Postoperative atrial fibrillation occurred in 9 (21%) of the 43 patients in the steroid group, as compared with 22 (51%) of the 43 patients in the placebo group ( P = .003). Minor postoperative complications occurred in 15 steroid patients (35%) and in 6 patients (14%) receiving placebo ( P = .01). Major complications occurred in 4 patients who received steroids (9%) and in 2 patients (5%) who received placebo ( P = .68; for all complications, P = .05). CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic short-term steroid administration in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting significantly reduced postoperative atrial fibrillation. In this study, there was no significant difference between the steroid group and the placebo group with regard to the length of hospital stay; however, the steroid group had more complications, which may contribute to prolonged hospitalization.