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In 2017, the European Society of Cardiology outlined the importance of the problem of diagnosing myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury following coronary artery bypass grafting. Myocardial injury can be accompanied by a critical decline in the cardiac index and an increase in cardiac troponin I plasma levels. The prognostic value troponin I elevation after coronary artery bypass grafting is poorly understood. Objective: to determine the prognostic value of troponin I plasma levels in relation to a fall in the cardiac index after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Task: To determine the probability the cardiac index falling below 2.2 for troponin I levels in the first hours, and on days 1, 2, 3, 4 after CABG. Materials and methods. The single-center, non-randomized prospective study, running from 2016 to 2019, included 336 patients admitted for elective surgical treatment of coronary artery disease. The CABG patients were divided into three observation groups: off-pump (n = 175), on-pump (n = 128), and pump-assisted (n = 33). Troponin I levels were measured in the first hours, and on days 1, 2, 3, 4 after surgery using the Pathfast Compact immunoassay analyzer. Cardiac index was measured by invasive method. Results. In patients with a cardiac index higher than 2.2, troponin I level did not exceed 0.5 ng/mL in the off-pump group, 6 ng/mL in the on-pump group, and 3.5 ng/mL in the pump-assisted group. Patients with cardiac index lower than 2.2 have comparable troponin I levels in all groups - 21 ng/mL. Troponin I thresholds on day 1 after surgery, which, when exceeded, was associated with the likelihood of the cardiac index falling below 2.2, was 3.78 ng/mL in the off-pump group, 9.67 ng/mL in the on-pump group and 17.06 ng/mL in the pump-assisted group. Conclusion. After off-pump CABG, clinically significant myocardial injury should be expected at lower troponin I levels (3.78 ng/mL) than after on-pump CABG (9.67 ng/mL) and pump-assisted CABG (14.7 ng/mL).

Aim. To present our experience in the international, multicenter, randomized clinical trial CORONARY (CABG Off or On Pump Revascularization Study) in which on-pump and off-pump CABG was compared. Materials and methods. Eleven patients who signed informed consent and matched at least 1 inclusion criterion according to the CORONARY study protocol were randomized in Institute site. All the patients completed the EuroQol-5D questionnaire and underwent neurocognitive tests (MOCA, DSS, Trial Making test). Results. The mean age of the enrolled patients was 62.9 ± 6.2 years. All the patients (100%) had myocardial infarction (MI) in anamnesis, 4 (36.35%) patients had cerebrovascular disease (CVD), 5 (45.4%) patients had chronic kidney disease (CKD), and 4 (36.35%) had diabetes mellitus (DM). The average number of hemodynamically marked coronary artery stenoses was 2.45 ± 0.78, the left main lesion was diagnosed in 2 (18.18%) cases. The severity of the patients’ condition according to the ES II scale averaged 4.9 ± 1.23%. Five (45.5%) patients underwent on-pump CABG, and offpump CABG was performed in 6 (54.5%) cases. The average on-pump time was 122.8 ± 23.5 minutes; the aortic clamp time was 68.4 ± 9.6 minutes. The average number of grafts was 3.5 ± 0.78. In the postoperative period, paroxysm of atrial fibrillation occurred in 4 (36.35%) patients. One (9.09%) patient had fatal ischemic stroke on day 5 after CABG. The patients were discharged on average within 8.5 ± 2.7 days. According to the study protocol, the condition of patients was monitored annually by telephone; 8 (72.7%) patients completed all visits. In 1 (9.09%) patient with recurrence of angina pectoris in 4 years after CABG we performed repeat CABG. Conclusions. According to the Institute experience of participation in the CORONARY study, there was 1 (9.09%) death due fatal ischemic stroke in the on-pump CABG group. One (9.09%) patient from the off-pump CABG group had repeated CABG. These results of small studies are generating debates in terms of the effectiveness of CABG technique. In multicenter CORONARY trial the rate of mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, kidney failure, repeated revascularization of myocardium during 5 years of follow-up was similar in on-pump and off-pump CABG patients groups.

Objective: To compare cardiac troponin-I levels in post-operative period of on-pump (ONCAB) versus off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery. Study Design: Prospective Observational Study. Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, from Jan 2019 to Dec 2019. Methodology: This prospective observational study was done at Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology from 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2019. Eighty six (43 in each on-pump and off-pump) patients admitted for elective coronary artery bypass grafting, aged 30-80 years were included in the study. Baseline data and cardiac troponin-I levels preoperatively as well as at 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours after the surgery in both groups were recorded and analyzed. Results: Out of 100 patients, mean age of the patients was 57.59 ± 10.24 years and 85% were males. All the base line characteristics, comorbid conditions and intra-operative findings were identical in both groups. There was marked rise in CK-MB levels postoperatively in overall participants. There was significant rise in Troponin I levels postoperatively in overall participants. Compared to OPCAB, postoperative Troponin I at 6hours and 12-hours was significantly higher in ONCAB. Conclusion: Compared to OPCAB, postoperative Troponin I at 6 hours and 12-hours was significantly high in ONCAB. However, there was no gross discrepancy in postoperative Troponin I levels between OPCAB and ONCAB at 18- & 24-hours after surgery.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 15% of saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) occlude during the first year after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) despite aspirin use. The POPular CABG trial (The Effect of Ticagrelor on Saphenous Vein Graft Patency in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery) investigated whether ticagrelor added to standard aspirin improves SVG patency at 1 year after CABG. METHODS: In this investigator-initiated, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, patients with ≥1 SVGs were randomly assigned (1:1) after CABG to ticagrelor or placebo added to standard aspirin (80 or 100 mg). The primary outcome was SVG occlusion at 1 year, assessed with coronary computed tomography angiography, in all patients who had primary outcome imaging available. A generalized estimating equation model was used to perform the primary analysis per SVG. The secondary outcome was 1-year SVG failure, which was a composite of SVG occlusion, SVG revascularization, myocardial infarction in myocardial territory supplied by a SVG, or sudden death. RESULTS: Among 499 randomized patients, the mean age was 67.9±8.3 years, 87.1% were male, the indication for CABG was acute coronary syndrome in 31.3%, and 95.2% of procedures used cardiopulmonary bypass. Primary outcome imaging was available in 219 patients in the ticagrelor group and 224 patients in the placebo group. The SVG occlusion rate in the ticagrelor group was 9.6% (44 of 457 SVGs) versus 10.1% in the placebo group (50 of 497 SVGs; odds ratio, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.49–1.55]; P =0.64). SVG failure occurred in 32 patients (12.9%) in the ticagrelor group versus 32 patients (13.0%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 1.04 [95% CI, 0.63–1.69]). CONCLUSIONS: In this randomized, placebo-controlled trial, the addition of ticagrelor to standard aspirin did not reduce SVG occlusion at 1 year after CABG. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT02352402. URL: https://eudract.ema.europa.eu/ ; Unique identifier: 2014-002142-50.

Objectives Does the manipulation of the off-pump CABG (OPCAB) in patient with depressed left ventricular function is better than on-pump CABG (ONCAB) approach in in-hospital mortality and morbidities? Here we undertook a meta-analysis of the best evidence available on the comparison of primary and second clinical outcomes of the off-pump and on-pump CABG. Design Systematic literature reviewer and meta-analysis. Data sources PubMed, EMBASE, Web of science and Cochrane Center Registry of Controlled Trials were searched the studies which comparing the use of the off-pump CABG(OPCAB) and on-pump CABG (ONCAB) for patients with LVD during January 1990.1 to January 2018. Eligibility criteria All observation studies and randomized controlled trials comparing on-pump and off-pump as main technique for multi-vessel coronary artery disease (defined as severe stenosis (>70%) in at least 2 major diseased coronary arteries) with left ventricular dysfunction(defined as ejection fraction (EF) 40% or less) were included. Data extraction and synthesis Authors will screen and select the studies extract the following data, first author, year of publication, trial characters, study design, inclusion and exclusion criteria, graft type, clinical outcome, assess the risk of bias and heterogeneity. Study-specific estimates will pool through the modification of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for the quality of study and while leave-one-out analysis will be used to detect the impact of individual studies on the robustness of outcomes. Results Among the 987 screened articles, a total of 16 studies (32,354 patients) were included. A significant relationship between patient risk profile and benefits from OPCAB was found in terms of the 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR], 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73–0.97; P = 0.02), stroke (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.55–0.86; P = 0.00), myocardial infarction (MI) (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53–0.96; P = 0.02), renal failure (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.55–0.93; P = 0.01), pulmonary complication (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.52–0.90; P = 0.01), infection (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.49–0.91; P = 0.00),postoperative transfusion (OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.08–0.84; P = 0.02) and reoperation for bleeding (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.41–0.75; P = 0.00). There was no significant difference in atrial fibrillation (AF) (OR, 0.96;95%; CI, 0.78–1.41; P = 0.56) and neurological dysfunction (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.49–1.57; P = 0.65). Conclusions Compared with the on-pump CABG with LVD, using the off-pump CABG is a better choice for patients with lower mortality, stroke, MI, RF, pulmonary complication, infection, postoperative transfusion and reoperation for bleeding. Further randomized studies are warranted to corroborate these observational data.

Background: Ischemic stroke after coronary artery bypass (CABG) has been often linked to aortic manipulation during surgery. Objectives: The objective of the study was to estimate the rate of postoperative ischemic stroke within 30 days from CABG by surgical risk factors alone or in combination. Methods: The multinomial propensity score for multiple treatments was used to create six models with a total of 16,255 consecutive patients undergoing isolated CABG. For each model, a different classification variable was used to stratify patients. Results: Balance achieved in all models was substantial, enabling unbiased estimation of the treatment estimand. Both off-pump techniques with (0.009; 95% CI 0.006–0.011) or without proximal anastomoses (0.005; 0.005–0.003), and surgery performed on the beating heart using cardiopulmonary bypass with (0.009; 0.006–0.011) or without proximal anastomoses (0.024; 0.021–0.029) showed a mean stroke estimate significantly lower than the other techniques. Off-pump surgery and on-pump surgery without an aortic cross-clamp yielded nearly equal incidences of stroke (0.012; 0.008–0.015 and 0.018; 0.012–0.023, respectively). Using an aortic cross-clamp significantly increased the stroke estimate (0.075; 0.061–0.088), whereas using a side-biting clamp did not (0.039; 0.033–0.044). The number of aortic touches (0.029; 0.026–0.031) and the number of proximal anastomoses (0.044; 0.035–0.047) did not significantly increase the incidence of stroke. Conclusions: Aortic cross-clamping was found to be the primary cause of post-CABG ischemic stroke. Instead, additional aortic manipulation from a side-biting clamp, on-pump surgery, multiple aortic touches, number of proximal anastomoses, and aortic cannulation were found not to increase the estimate of stroke significantly. Further research on this topic is warranted., Graphical Abstract Factors increasing post CABG incidence of ischemic stroke (red) and those which were not significant at the multi-model multifactorial analysis that analyzed all technical factors alone or in different combinations (green).

Background: There is an increase in the number of patients with severely impaired left ventricle function who referred for CABG. Many studies showed that surgical intervention for those high-risk patients has high survival and wonderful outcome compared to medical treatment. Aim of work: This study aimed to evaluate our experience with coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with EF [ 25% up to 40%] either to perform surgery using off or on-pump technique and try to conclude which technique may be safer regarding cardiac function. Patients and Methods: This prospective observational patient cohort study from August 2017 to July 2019 enclosed forty consecutive patients divided into 2 teams every 20 patients either off or on pump technique according to surgeons' expertise. Pre-, intra- and post-operative data were collected for all patients. All survivors were subjected to a 6-months follow-up clinically and by Echocardiograghy assessment. Results: Improvement of ejection fraction [EF] was encountered in our study; the mean 6-months operative EF improved for each team by [36% versus 37%] for off-pump and on-pump interventions, respectively. There was no statistically important difference in the information collected for each technique [p-value>0.05] regarding most points of comparison. Conclusion: Results of CABG in high-risk patients were acceptable with on-pump and off-pump techniques with nearly comparable results in our study, at least in the early 6-months after intervention. Intra-aortic balloon usage is valuable when indicated.

Background/Objectives Endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting (Endo-CABG) is a minimally invasive CABG procedure with retrograde arterial perfusion. The main objective of this study is to assess neurocognitive outcome after Endo-CABG. Methods/Design In this prospective observational cohort study, patients were categorised into: Endo-CABG (n = 60), a comparative Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) group (n = 60) and a healthy volunteer group (n = 60). A clinical neurological examination was performed both pre- and postoperatively, delirium was assessed postoperatively. A battery of 6 neurocognitive tests, Quality of life (QoL) and the level of depressive feelings were measured at baseline and after 3 months. Patient Satisfaction after Endo-CABG was assessed at 3-month follow-up. Primary endpoints were incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), stroke and delirium after Endo-CABG. Secondary endpoints were QOL, patient satisfaction and the incidence of depressive feelings after Endo-CABG. Results In total, 1 patient after Endo-CABG (1.72%) and 1 patient after PCI (1.67%) suffered from stroke during the 3-month follow-up. POCD in a patient is defined as a Reliable Change Index ≤-1.645 or Z-score ≤-1.645 in at least two tests, and was found in respectively 5 and 6 patients 3 months after Endo-CABG and PCI. Total incidence of POCD/stroke was not different (PCI: n= 7 [15.9%]; Endo-CABG: n= 6 [13.0%], p = 0.732). ICU delirium after Endo-CABG was found in 5 (8.6%) patients. QoL increased significantly three months after Endo-CABG and was comparable with QoL level after PCI and in the control group. Patient satisfaction after Endo-CABG and PCI was comparable. At follow-up, the level of depressive feelings was decreased in all groups. Conclusions The incidence of poor neurocognitive outcome, including stroke, POCD and postoperative ICU delirium until three months after Endo-CABG is low and comparable with PCI. Trial registration Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02979782)

Objective We performed a post hoc analysis of the Arterial Revascularization Trial to compare 10-year outcomes after off-pump versus on-pump surgery. Methods Among 3102 patients enrolled, 1252 (40% of total) and 1699 patients received off-pump and on-pump surgery (151 patients were excluded because of other reasons); 2792 patients (95%) completed 10-year follow-up. Propensity matching and mixed-effect Cox model were used to compare long-term outcomes. Interaction term analysis was used to determine whether bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting was a significant effect modifier. Results One thousand seventy-eight matched pairs were selected for comparison. A total of 27 patients (2.5%) in the off-pump group required conversion to on-pump surgery. The off-pump and on-pump groups received a similar number of grafts (3.2 ± 0.89 vs 3.1 ± 0.8; P = .88). At 10 years, when compared with on-pump, there was no significant difference in death (adjusted hazard ratio for off-pump, 1.1; 95% confidence interval, 0.84-1.4; P = .54) or the composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and repeat revascularization (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-1.2; P = .47). However, off-pump surgery performed by low volume off-pump surgeons was associated with a significantly lower number of grafts, increased conversion rates, and increased cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, 2.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.28-4.47; P = .006) when compared with on-pump surgery performed by on–pump-only surgeons. Conclusions The findings showed that in the Arterial Revascularization Trial, off-pump and on-pump techniques achieved comparable long-term outcomes. However, when off-pump surgery was performed by low-volume surgeons, it was associated with a lower number of grafts, increased conversion, and a higher risk of cardiovascular death.

Background For revascularization of myocardium, the on-pump beating heart technique has been successfully used in patients with either low or high risk. However, the use of this technique in patients with low ejection fraction is not well thoroughly evaluated. The aim of the work was to evaluate the on-pump beating heart technique in subjects with severe left ventricular dysfunction and to compare results with on-pump non-beating (conventional) technique. Methods The present study was held at Al-Azhar University Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt during the period from January 2014 till June 2016. The study included 200 patients who achieved the inclusion criteria. They were allocated either to on-pump beating heart (n = 84) or conventional group (n = 116). Patients were evaluated for in hospital mortality or major postoperative complications. Results On-pump beating heart was found to be associated with low in hospital mortality, postoperative CK-MB, new myocardial infarction, renal dysfunction and need for hemodialysis. Conclusions On-pump beating heart technique was better than conventional technique for cardiac revascularization in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction.

Summary Introduction: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) results in higher morbidity and mortality rates in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patient populations than in patients with normal renal function. This study aimed to identify the early results of CABG performed on ESRD patients, and the factors that affected the mortality rates of those patients. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of our hospital database revealed 84 haemodialysis-receiving patients who underwent CABG during the years 2006 to 2012. Mortality was observed in 21 patients (group 1), and this group was compared with the remaining patients (group 2) for peri-operative parameters such as age, EuroSCORE, functional capacity, myocardial infarction, use of inotropes and completeness of revascularisation. Results: The study included 60 male (71.4%) and 24 female patients (28.6%); the participants’ mean age was 59.50 ± 9.93 years. The pre-operative additive EuroSCORE was 7.96 ± 2.88 (range: 2–18). Pre-operative functional capacity was impaired in 35.7% of the patients [New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes III–IV]. Mean age and preoperative EuroSCORE values of group 1 were significantly higher than those of group 2. Impaired functional capacity (NHYA classes III–IV) was also associated with mortality (OR: 3.333; 95% CI: 1.199–9.268). Fifty-four patients (64.3%) underwent on-pump CABG procedures, and 30 (35.7%) underwent off-pump CABG procedures. The study found no statistically significant difference in mortality rates between these two techniques. Mortality occurred in 12 patients (22.2%) in the on-pump group and in nine (30%) in the off-pump group. Complete revascularisation was performed on 46 patients (85.2%) in the on-pump group and seven (23.3%) in the off-pump group (p < 0.001). Conclusion Advanced age, impaired NYHA functional capacity and pre-operative hypertension were determinative for early-term surgical mortality. An on-pump surgical technique is recommended to ensure completeness of revascularisation.

Extracorporeal circulation has led to a great development in cardiovascular surgery during the last five decades. Its time-proven efficacy and safety have made on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) the gold standard method of surgical revascularization. However, coronary revascularization on cardiopulmonary bypass and the accompanying aortic manipulation are related to plenty of deleterious complications. Therefore, off-pump CABG surgery was established to avoid complications. Nevertheless, despite the initial enthusiasm on this technique, only 20% of myocardial revascularization procedures worldwide are performed off-pump. Not only are off-pump cardiac procedures more technically difficult but also they do not provide better results in terms of graft patency, completeness of revascularization, repeat revascularization requirement, cost, and quality of life. Completeness of revascularization and anastomotic quality should not be compromised to avoid cardiopulmonary bypass.

Background The impact of the coronary artery bypass grafting ( CABG ) technique (on‐ versus off‐pump, single versus multiple aortic clamping) on postoperative neurological outcome remains a matter of controversy. The aim of this study was to assess the association between the incidence of postoperative stroke and the degree of aortic manipulation in one of the largest contemporary CABG series. Methods and Results A retrospective, multicenter, international study was conducted in 25 388 patients undergoing isolated CABG procedures with on‐pump CABG ( ONCAB ) or off‐pump CABG ( OPCAB ) technique including single or multiple aortic clamping. Postoperative stroke was defined as a postoperative neurological deficit lasting more than 24 hours and associated with evidence of a brain lesion on computed tomography. The degree of aortic manipulation was assumed to be higher for on‐pump versus off‐pump surgery and for multiple versus single or no aortic clamping. Logistic regression and propensity matching were used. ONCAB procedures were performed in 17 231 cases and OPCAB in 8157. The incidence of postoperative stroke was significantly lower in the OPCAB group even after propensity matching (0.4% OPCAB versus 1.2% ONCAB , P =0.02). In the ONCAB group (but not in the OPCAB arm) the use of single aortic clamping was associated with significantly reduced postoperative stroke rate (odds ratio, 0.05; 95% CI , 0.008 to 0.07 [ P Conclusions OPCAB and the use of single aortic clamping in the ONCAB arm were associated with a reduced incidence of postoperative stroke. Our data confirm a strong association between aortic manipulation and neurological outcome after CABG surgery.

BackgroundAlthough it is traditionally regarded as a single entity, perioperative stroke comprises 2 separate phenomena (early/intraoperative and delayed/postoperative stroke). We aimed to systematically evaluate incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcome of early and delayed stroke after cardiac surgery.Methods and ResultsA systematic review (MEDLINE,EMBASE, Cochrane Library) was performed to identify all articles reporting early (on awakening from anesthesia) and delayed (after normal awakening from anesthesia) stroke after cardiac surgery. End points were pooled event rates of stroke and operative mortality and incident rate of late mortality. Thirty‐six articles were included (174 969 patients). The pooled event rate for early stroke was 0.98% (95%CI0.79% to 1.23%) and was 0.93% for delayed stoke (95%CI0.77% to 1.11%;P=0.68). The pooled event rate of operative mortality was 28.8% (95%CI17.6% to 43.4%) for early and 17.9% (95%CI14.0% to 22.7%) for delayed stroke, compared with 2.4% (95%CI1.9% to 3.1%) for patients without stroke (PCI7.5% to 18.3%) for early and 9.4% (95%CI5.9% to 14.9%) for delayed stroke, compared with 3.4% (95%CI2.4% to 4.8%) in patients with no stroke. Meta‐regression demonstrated that off‐pump was inversely associated with early stroke (β=−0.009,P=0.01), whereas previous stroke (β=0.02,PConclusionsEarly and delayed stroke after cardiac surgery have different risk factors and impacts on operative mortality as well as on long‐term survival.

The purpose of this study was to compare the renal function in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting in off-pump and on-pump having pre-operative impaired renal function. In the on-pump, the serum creatinine and urea levels were significantly increased on post-operative day 1, 3 and 7. On day 1, it was maximum, then gradually decreased but not reached to pre-operative level. In case of off-pump, serum creatinine and urea levels were significantly increased on post-operative day 1 and 3. On day 1, it was maximum. Then decreased and the serum creatinine reached below pre-operative level on day 7. In case of on-pump, the creatinine clearance rate was significantly decreased on post-operative day 1, 3 and 7. On day 1, it was minimum. Then gradually increased but not reached the pre-operative level. In case off-pump, the creatinine clearance rate was significantly decreased on day 1 and 3. On day 1, it was minimum, then gradually increased and reached above the pre-operative level. A significant low level creatinine clearance rate was observed in on-pump group. Renal function was better preserved in patients undergoing off-pump in comparison to on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Aim. To study predictors of long-term post-operation cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in patients with diabetes mellitus 2 type (DM), underwent coronary bypass grafting (CBG) under on-pump conditions. Material and methods. Totally, 54 men included, with DM 2 type, underwent scheduled on-pump CBG, at the age 45-69 y.o. All patients, together with standard clinical assessment, were neurophysiologically tested on the 3-5th day after operation, on 7-14th day and in 1 year after CBG. As factors, suggestively significant for persistent POCD development, were selected: integral parameter of patents adherence to treatment, moderate cognition disorders (MCD) before operation, anxiety level (AL) and progression of carotid arteries (CA) stenoses, measured in 1 year before the operation. Results. In DM2 patients after on-pump CBG, the following most significant factors were identified as predictors for POCD: CA stenoses progression, high AL, low integral parameter of adherence; this allows for high probability level of prediction of POCD in 1 year after CBG. Conclusion. The obtained data demonstrated significance of the factors as CA stenoses progression, high LA and low adherence to treatment for development of persistent POCD in DM2 patients after on-pump CBG.

Purpose Cardiac surgery and conventional extracorporeal circulation (CECC) impair the bioavailability of drugs administered by mouth. It is not known whether miniaturized ECC (MECC) or off-pump surgery (OPCAB) affect the bioavailability in similar manner. We evaluated the metoprolol bioavailability in patients undergoing CABG surgery with CECC, MECC, or having OPCAB. Methods Thirty patients, ten in each group, aged 44-79 years, scheduled for CABG surgery were administered 50 mg metoprolol by mouth on the preoperative day at 8-10 a.m. and 8 p.m., 2 h before surgery, and thereafter daily at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Blood samples were collected up to 12 h after the morning dose on the preoperative day and on first and third postoperative days. Metoprolol concentration in plasma was analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results The absorption of metoprolol was markedly reduced on the first postoperative day in all three groups, but recovered to the preoperative level on the third postoperative day. The geometric means (90% confidence interval) of AUC(0-12) on the first and third postoperative days versus the preoperative day were 44 (26-74)% and 109 (86-139)% in the CECC-group, 28 (16-50)% and 79 (59-105)% in the MECC-group, and 26 (12-56)% and 96 (77-119)% in the OPCAB-group, respectively. Two patients in the CECC-group and two in the MECC-group developed atrial fibrillation (AF). The bioavailability and the drug concentrations of metoprolol in patients developing AF did not differ from those who remained in sinus rhythm. Conclusion The bioavailability of metoprolol by mouth was markedly reduced in the early phase after CABG with no difference between the CECC-, MECC-, and OPCAB-groups.

Objective: Using magnetic resonance imaging, the authors studied the influence of a single high dose of intraoperative dexamethasone on the severity of cerebral edema that can occur early after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). It was hypothesized that high-dose intraoperative dexamethasone reduces cerebral edema after CABG. Design: Secondary analysis in a subset of participants of the Dexamethasone for Cardiac Surgery (DECS) trial. The DECS trial was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 4,494 cardiac surgery patients, which studied the effect of high-dose dexamethasone on mortality and major complications after cardiac surgery. Setting: A large university hospital in The Netherlands. Participants: Twenty adult patients who underwent CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) between March and November 2011. Interventions: Participants received a single intravenous dose of dexamethasone, 1 mg/kg, or placebo, at induction of anesthesia. Measurements and Main Results: Patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging scanning immediately after surgery. The primary outcome was the severity of cerebral edema. Data from 18 patients (9 in each group, median age 69 years in both groups) could be analyzed. Patients in the dexamethasone group were (median, interquartile range 66 (53-99) minutes on cardiopulmonary bypass v 95 (81-105) minutes in the placebo group (p = 0.11). Only 1 patient in the dexamethasone group had slight cerebral edema (0% v11%, p = 1.00), and edema severity did not differ between groups (p = 1.00). Conclusions: Relevant degrees of early postoperative cerebral edema were not observed. The present study findings strongly contrasted with older studies showing cerebral edema early after CABG in most patients. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In patients undergoing cardiac surgery, use of perioperative screening for aortic atherosclerosis with modified TEE (A-View method) was associated with lower postoperative mortality, but not stroke, as compared to patients operated on without such screening. At the time of clinical implementation and validation, we did not yet standardize the indications for modified TEE and the changes in patient management in the presence of aortic atherosclerosis. Therefore, we designed a protocol, which combined the diagnosis of atherosclerosis of thoracic aorta and the subsequent considerations with respect to the intraoperative management and provides a systematic approach to reduce the risk of cerebral complications.

The aim of this study was to analyze if off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) is associated with better treatment outcomes in elderly patients (>70 years of age) than on-pump CABG, using meta-analysis. Medline, PubMed, Cochrane and Google Scholar databases were searched until September 13, 2016. Sensitivity and quality assessment were performed. Twenty-two studies, three randomized control trials (RCTs) and 20 non-RCTs were included with 24,127 patients. The risk of death associated with on-pump or off-pump CABG in the RCTs were similar (pooled OR=0.945, 95%CI=0.652 to 1.371, P=0.766). However, in the non-RCTs, mortality risk was lower in patients treated with off-pump CABG than on-pump CABG (pooled OR=0.631, 95%CI=0.587 to 0.944, P=0.003). No differences were observed between the two treatment groups in terms of the occurrence of 30-day post-operative stroke or myocardial infarction (P≥0.147). In the non-RCTs, off-pump CABG treatment was associated with a shorter length of hospital stay (pooled standardized difference in means=-0.401, 95%CI=-0.621 to -0.181, P≤0.001). The meta-analysis with pooled data from non-RCTs, but not RCTs, found that mortality was lower with off-pump compared with on-pump CABG, and suggested that there may be some benefit of off-pump CABG compared with on-pump CABG in the risk of mortality and length of hospital stay.

Coronary artery bypass surgery, performed with or without cardiopulmonary bypass, is frequently followed by postoperative cognitive decline. Near-infrared spectroscopy is commonly used to assess cerebral tissue oxygenation, especially during cardiac surgery. Recent studies have suggested an association between cerebral desaturation and postoperative cognitive dysfunction. We therefore studied cerebral oxygen desaturation, defined as area under the cerebral oxygenation curve40% of10 min.%, with respect to cognitive performance at 4 days (early) and 3 months (late) postoperatively, compared with baseline, using a computerised cognitive test battery. We included 60 patients, of mean (SD) age 62.8 (9.4) years, scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass grafting, who were randomly allocated to surgery with or without cardiopulmonary bypass. Cerebral desaturation occurred in only three patients and there was no difference in cerebral oxygenation between the two groups at any time. Among patients who received cardiopulmonary bypass, 18 (62%) had early cognitive decline, compared with 16 (53%) in the group without cardiopulmonary bypass (p = 0.50). Three months after surgery, 11 patients (39%) in the cardiopulmonary bypass group displayed cognitive dysfunction, compared with four (14%) in the non-cardiopulmonary bypass group (p = 0.03). The use of cardiopulmonary bypass was identified as an independent risk factor for the development of late cognitive dysfunction (OR 6.4 (95% CI 1.2-33.0) p = 0.027. In conclusion, although cerebral oxygen desaturation was rare in our population, postoperative cognitive decline was common in both groups, suggesting that factors other than hypoxic neuronal injury are responsible.

Aim. In our study, we researched whether on-pump and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) differ as regards their effect on postoperative red cell distribution width (RDW). Moreover, we also investigated whether there was a link between the preoperative and postoperative RDW levels and the early adverse events after CABG.Material and methods. In this study there were 127 consecutive patients who had previously undergone CABG. The patients were divided as group 1 (off-pump, n: 49) and group 2 (on-pump, n: 78). The hemogram and biochemistry panel values were measured a day before the operation, on the first, third and seventh days after it, and in the postoperative first and sixth months.Results. The statistically significant values detected in the hemogram were as follows: postoperative first day hemoglobin, postoperative first day leukocyte, postoperative first day thrombocyte, postoperative first day C-reactive protein, postoperative third day RDW, postoperative third day leukocyte, postoperative seventh day RDW, postoperative seventh day leukocyte, postoperative first month RDW, and postoperative first month thrombocyte (p0,05).Conclusion. We found that on-pump CABG increases the RDW levels more in the acute period, when compared with off-pump surgery, but that this effect disappears by the sixth month after the operation. For this reason, RDW can be used as a new inflammatory marker in patients undergoing CABG. Moreover, we observed that there was no clinical link between early adverse events after CABG and the pre- and postoperative RDW levels.

In this study, we examined the early results for patients who underwent beating heart coronary bypass surgery and compared these results with those of conventional coronary bypass surgery. A total of 1094 patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass surgery between January 2009 and December 2011 in our clinic were included in this study. Seventy-three patients in whom cardiopulmonary bypass was not used (group 1) were compared to 1021 patients in whom cardiopulmonary bypass was used (group 2). The mean age was 60.7 +/- 9.3 in group 1 and 58.9 +/- 9.7 in group 2 (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of gender, or the coexistence of diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and hypertension (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference between group 1 and group 2 in terms of development of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF), use of an intra-aortic balloon pump, need for re-operation for bleeding, or duration of hospital stay and intensive care unit stay (P > 0.05). The need for inotropic support and the amount of mediastinal drainage were less in group 1 than in group 2 (P = 0.002, P < 0.001). The incidences of postoperative cerebrovascular accident, development of chronic renal failure, and sternal wound infection did not significantly differ between the groups (P > 0.05). There was no mortality in group 1, whereas it was calculated as 1.8% in group 2 (P = 0.63). Beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery decreases the need for inotropie support and transfusion.

OBJECTIVES: Training models are essential in mastering the skills required for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). We describe a new, high-fidelity, effective and reproducible beating-heart OPCAB training model in human cadavers.METHODS: Human cadavers were embalmed according to the 'Thiel method' which allows their long-term and repeated use. The training model was constructed by bilateral ligation of the pulmonary veins, cross-clamping of the aorta, positioning of an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) in the left ventricle (LV) through the apex (tightened with pledget-reinforced purse strings) and finally placing of a fluid line in the LV through the left atrial appendage (tightened with a pledget-reinforced purse string). The LV was filled with saline to the desired pressure through the fluid line and the IABP was switched on and set to a desired frequency [usually 60-80 beats per minute (bpm)].RESULTS: A high-fidelity simulation has known limitations, but a more complex, realistic training environment with an actual beating (human) heart strengthens the entire training exercise and is of incremental value. All types of coronary artery anastomosis can be trained with this model. Training should be performed under the supervision of an experienced OPCAB surgeon and training progress is best evaluated with serial Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS). A score of at least 48 points on the final OSATS ('good' on all components) is recommended before trainees can start their training on patients.CONCLUSIONS: The entire set-up provides a versatile training model to help develop and improve the skills required to safely perform beating heart OPCAB anastomoses.

OBJECTIVES: We aim to describe our experience in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with or without cardiopulmonary bypass by comparing intraoperative and postoperative outcomes. METHODS: From January 1993 to June 2013, 3097 patients underwent consecutive emergency and scheduled CABG surgery. A total of 1770 patients underwent on-pump CABG (ONCABG) and 1327 off-pump CABG (OPCABG). A propensity score matching was performed to identify appropriate matched-pair patients; univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess significant predictors of hospital and 30-day morbidity and mortality composite end-points. Morbidity composite end-point was defined as any renal, pulmonary, cardiovascular and neurological complication that occurred during hospital stay. We collected all-cause mortality data during the study period. RESULTS: We identified 1004 patients in each group. There were no significant differences in thirty day mortality, 2.8 vs 3.8%, in OPCABG and ONCABG, respectively (P = 0.21). Cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory and renal complications were more frequent in the ONCABG group: 13.9 vs 8.7% (P < 0.001), 3.9 vs 2.2% (P = 0.03), 13.5 vs 7.5% (P < 0.001), 7.1 vs 5.3% (P = 0.095), respectively. The long-term all-cause mortality rate was 12.3 vs 12.9% in the OPCABG versus ONCABG group (P = 0.42), respectively. In both uni- and multivariable analysis preoperative renal failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and ONCABG were independent predictors of mortality and morbidity composite end-points. CONCLUSIONS: OPCABG is associated with less postoperative morbimortality and shorter hospital and intensive care unit length of stay. ONCABG resulted as an independent predictor of morbidity and mortality composite end-point. No statistically significant differences were observed in long-term all-cause mortality between groups.

Background. A retrospective, single-center 4-year clinical study of the off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting no-touch technique with arterial conduits (Y-graft) was compared with the Syntax trial.Methods. Four hundred consecutive patients ("all-comers") who underwent coronary surgery between 2004 and 2008 at the Thorax Center Twente (TCT) formed the study group. The primary end point was in-hospital and 12-month major cardiovascular or cerebrovascular event (MACCE). Event rates of MACCE were based on life tables, and overall MACCE was determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis.Results. In-hospital mortality was 0.2%. Cumulative 1-year survival was 98.2%, and freedom from MACCE was 94.7% +/- 1.1%. Cumulative 4-year survival and freedom from MACCE were 91.2% +/- 2.4% and 82.1% +/- 3.0%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics between the patients of the TCT group and the surgical arm of the Syntax trial. Repeat revascularization, MACCE, and symptomatic graft occlusion in the TCT group were significantly lower than in the Syntax trial. The event rate of myocardial infarction and all-cause death in the TCT group were significantly lower than those of the percutaneous coronary intervention arm of the Syntax trial. There was a clear trend toward a reduction of the event rate of stroke in the TCT group (0.8%) compared with the surgical arm of the Syntax trial (2.2%). There was no significant difference of stroke rate between the TCT group and the percutaneous coronary intervention arm of the Syntax trial.Conclusions. A state-of-the-art surgical technique such as off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting no-touch can further improve the advantage of surgical treatment with respect to percutaneous coronary intervention. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting no-touch surgery can be the treatment of choice for patients with three-vessel disease and left main stenosis.

Background Coronary endarterectomy (CE) is an alternative for the diffusely diseased left anterior descending (LAD), but its mid and long term results are largely questionable. This study is to compare the early to mid-term results between off-pump and on-pump coronary endarterectomy with coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods 212 consecutive patients underwent CE and bypass grafting for diffusely diseased LAD. Ninety-two patients undergoing CE with off-pump (group off-pump) were compared with 120 patients undergoing CE with on-pump (group on-pump). The main preference for selection to an off-pump CE surgery were the preoperative high risk factors, especially previous cerebrovascular accident、chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)、calcified ascending aorta and right coronary artery (RCA) critical stenosis >90%. Results There were three deaths in this group with total operative mortality of 1.4%. The perioperative mortality of group off-pump (1.1%) was similar with that of group on-pump (1.7%). The postoperative myocardial infarctions rate was 2.8%. There was no significant difference as for the morbidity between the group off-pump and group on-pump. Among survivors, the patency rate of the LIMA–LAD anastomosis was 89.4%. There was no difference as for the grafts patency rate between the two groups. Kaplan–Meier survival revealed no significant difference between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier freedom from cardiac events requiring hospital re-admission and angina recurrence were similar in both groups. Conclusions On-pump or off-pump CE is a good technique with the same early and mid-term outcomes. In the series of off-pump CE, we have shown that the effect of OPCABG with CE appears to be durable, and mid-term clinical outcomes are encouraging. Despite the higher risk profile, hospital mortality and major complications in our study are comparable to those for CCE. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13019-014-0186-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: Potential long-term gain in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) using off-pump coronary revascularization in elderly patients >70 years has not yet been fully elucidated. Aim: We compared HRQoL in elderly moderate- to high-risk patients 3 months, 12 months, and 8 years after randomization to either off-pump or on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods: After randomization and before heart surgery, 120 consecutive patients were asked to fill in the Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Major Depression Inventory diagnostic scale for self-report of HRQoL. Postoperatively, the same questionnaires were mailed to the patients. Results: No significant difference was found in the change of SF-36 scores between the groups except in the social functioning subscale, where the 8-year score was significantly higher for the on-pump group than the off-pump group (p=0.038). In the on-pump group, all scores improved from baseline to 8 years, with the highest improvement in most of the domains after 8 years. In the off-pump group, there was an improvement in four of the eight domains from baseline to 8 years, with the highest improvement in most of the domains after 12 months. By contrast, there was a noticeable decrease in bodily pain, social functioning, and mental health at 8 years after off-pump operation. No patients showed signs of depression after 8 years. Conclusion: HRQoL SF-36 scores seemed to improve more in patients undergoing on-pump CABG compared with patients undergoing off-pump surgery, although no long-term clinically relevant difference between the groups could be demonstrated.

Kumtepe, Gencehan (Balıkesir Author), Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare postoperative short-term, mid-term and long-term outcomes of coronary artery bypass surgery performed with or without cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with a low European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation score. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 478 consecutive low risk patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery between January 2002 and December 2007 was performed. Of these patients, 83 cases had undergone on-pump and 395 cases had undergone off-pump coronary bypass surgery. The patients were assessed in terms peri-operative complications, survival, mortality due to cardiac events, need for rehospitalization and repeated coronary revascularization. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of preoperative characteristics, except for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The number of distal anastomosis per patient was significantly lower in the off-pump group than in the on-pump group (2.66 +/- 0.74 vs. 3.21 +/- 0.85, p < 0.001). Early mortality rates were similar in both groups (1.01% for the off-pump group and 1.2% for the on-pump group, p = 0.687). Neurological complications were significantly lower in the off-pump group than in the on-pump group (1.1% vs. 6%, p = 0.01). The mean follow-up period was 80 +/- 19.1 months (range, 3-112 months). The need for revascularization during long-term follow-up was 10.1% in the off-pump group and 7.2% in the on-pump group (p = 0.416). The 5-year survival was 95.2 +/- 1.1% and 95.5 +/- 2.7% in the off-pump and on-pump groups, respectively (p = 0.8), whereas the 7-year survival was 91.9 +/- 1.6% and 84.7 +/- 6.8% in the off-pump and on-pump groups, respectively (p = 0.274). The 5-year revascularization-free period was 89.5 +/- 1.6% and 89.7 +/- 3.5% in the off-pump and on-pump groups, respectively (p = 0.785). The 7-year revascularization-free period was 71.1 +/- 3.1% and 73.5 +/- 7.3% in the off-pump and on-pump groups, respectively (p = 0.075). The 7-year event-free survival was 80.1 +/- 2.2% and 73.4 +/- 7.3% in the off-pump and on-pump groups, respectively (p = 0.377). Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that off-pump cardiac surgery had advantages over on-pump cardiac surgery in the short term; however, both interventions had similar mid-term and long-term outcomes, when performed in low-risk patient.

Background Despite continuous improvements in materials and perfusion techniques, cardiac surgery still causes lung injury and a delay of pulmonary recovery. Currently, there is no gold standard for quantifying cardiac surgery induced lung injury and dysfunction. Adding objective measures, such as plasma biomarkers, could be of great use here. In this study the utility of lung epithelium specific proteins as biomarkers for lung dysfunction was evaluated. Methods Serial measurements of plasma concentrations of Clara cell 16 kD (CC16) protein, Surfactant protein D (SP-D), Elastase and Myeloperoxidase were performed on blood samples from 40 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass (CABG, n = 20) or without cardiopulmonary bypass (OPCAB, n = 20). Results The increase of SP-D and CC16 between pre-operative concentrations and concentrations at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass, correlated with the Aa-O2 gradient at 1 hour on the ICU (Rs = 0.409, p = .016 and Rs = 0.343, p = .043, respectively). Furthermore, SP-D and CC16 were higher in CABG than in OPCAB at the end of surgery [8.96 vs. 4.91 ng/mL, p = .042 and 92 vs. 113%, p = .007, respectively]. After 24 h both biomarkers returned to their baseline values. Conclusions Our results show that increases in plasma of SP-D and CC16 correlate with clinical lung injury after coronary artery bypass surgery. Therefore, lung epithelium specific proteins seem to be a useful biomarker for measuring lung injury in the setting of cardiac surgery.

Background: Preoperative renal dysfunction is an important risk factor in cardiac surgery. Thus, the association between creatinine clearance (ClCr) and mechanical ventilation time and ICU length of stay, independent of other established preoperative risk indicators, was analyzed. Methods: In our study, 156 consecutive patients underwent open-heart surgery at the Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital St. Andrea, Rome,and were prospectivelystudied for the relation between the ClCr, usingthe formuladevelop byCockroftand Gault, andICU length of stay and mechanical ventilation time. The 156 patients were divided into two groups in relation of ClCr: group A (n = 78) ClCr 70 ml/min. Results: In multivariate analysis, ICU length of stay was influenced by ClCr < 70 ml/min, hypertension and COPD. ICU stay was median 48 h (range 24—72) in group A versus 24 h (range 20.7—44) in group B (p = 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, only ClCr < 70 ml/min and EuroScore were associated with increasing VAM. VAM was median 8 h (range 5.7—13.2) in group Aversus 6 h (range 4—10) in group B (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that after short-term outcome follow-up, preoperative mild renal dysfunction is an independent predictor of ICU length of stay and mechanical ventilation time. # 2007 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Objective: Previous trials comparing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with or without extracorporeal circulation have mainly enrolled selected patients at younger age and low risk. Patient-reported health-related quality of life has not been significantly different. We compared health-related quality oflife in elderlymoderate to high-riskpatientsrandomized to eitheroff-pumpor on-pumpsurgery.Methods:The studyis a sub-study of the randomized Best Bypass Surgery Trial that compares off-pump to on-pump treatment, with respect to peri- and postoperative mortality and morbidity in patients with a moderate to high-predicted preoperative risk. After randomization and before heart surgery, 120 consecutivepatientswere askedtofillin theMedicalOutcomesStudyShort Form36(SF-36) andMajor DepressionInventory(MDI)diagnosticscale for self-report of health-related quality of life. Three months after surgery, the same questionnaires were mailed to the patients. Results: The response rate was 96.5%. At baseline, the groups were comparable except for a difference in educational level. Both groups improved in all eight SF-36 domains from baseline to 3 months. No statistical differences were seen between the groups except for changes in mean difference of role limitation due to emotional problems, which was significantly (P = .04) improved in favour of the on-pump group. Depression scores remained unchanged within and between the two surgical groups. Conclusions: Both on-pump and off-pump patients improved in health-related quality of life scores after CABG surgery. No clinically relevant difference between the groups could be demonstrated.

The aims of this study were to determine circulating choline status and its relationship to circulating levels of S-100β protein and neuron-specific enolase, biochemical markers of cerebral injury and cognitive decline, after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. Preoperatively, patients scheduled for off-pump or on-pump CABG surgery had serum concentrations of 12.0±0.2 and 11.7±0.4μmol/L free choline and 2640±65 and 2675±115μmol/L phospholipid-bound choline, respectively. Serum free and bound choline levels decreased by 22–37% or 34–47% and 16–36% or 31–38% at 48h after off-pump or on-pump surgery, respectively. Serum S-100β and neuron-specific enolase increased from preoperative values of 0.083±0.009 and 6.3±0.2μg/L to 0.405±0.022 and 11.4±0.8μg/L, respectively, at 0h postoperatively and remained elevated for 48h after off-pump surgery. Serum free and bound choline concentrations were inversely correlated with the concentrations of S-100β (r=−0.798; p

Background In high-risk coronary artery bypass patients; off-pump versus on-pump surgical strategies still remain a matter of debate, regarding which method results in a lower incidence of perioperative mortality and morbidity. We describe our experience in the treatment of high-risk coronary artery patients and compare patients assigned to on-pump and off-pump surgery. Methods From March 2002 to July 2004, 86 patients with EuroSCOREs > 5 underwent myocardial revascularization with or without cardiopulmonary bypass. Patients were assigned to off-pump surgery (40) or on-pump surgery (46) based on coronary anatomy coupled with the likelihood of achieving complete revascularization. Results Those patients undergoing off-pump surgery had significantly poorer left ventricular function than those undergoing on-pump surgery (28.6 ± 5.8% vs. 40.5 ± 7.4%, respectively, p < 0.05) and also had higher Euroscore values (7.26 ± 1.4 vs. 12.1 ± 1.8, respectively, p < 0.05). Differences between the two groups were nonsignificant with regard to number of grafts per patient, mean duration of surgery, anesthesia and operating room time, length of stay intensive care unit (ICU) and rate of postoperative atrial fibrillation Conclusion Utilization of off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) does not confer significant clinical advantages in all high-risk patients. This review suggest that off-pump coronary revascularization may represent an alternative approach for treatment of patients with Euroscore ≥ 10 and left ventricular function ≤ 30%.

Surgical revascularization of the heart (CABG - coronary artery bypass grafting) is one way of treating coronary heart disease. Bleeding is one of the serious and frequent complications of heart surgery and can result in increased mortality and morbidity. Hemostasis disorder may be secondary consequences of surgical bleeding, preoperative anticoagulant therapy, and the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. Tests used for routine evaluation of the coagulation system are activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and international normalized ratio (INR). The study encountered 60 patients who were hospitalized at the Clinic for Cardiovascular Diseases, University Clinical Center Tuzla. Patients underwent elective coronary artery bypass heart surgery either with cardiopulmonary bypass (on-pump CABG) or without it (off-pump CABG). The aim of this study was to compare the changes in coagulation tests (APTT, INR) in patients who were operated on-pump and patients operated off-pump. Our study showed that the values of APTT and INR tend to increase immediately after surgery. Twenty-four hours after surgery these values are declining and they are approaching the preoperative values in all observed patients (p

Objectives: Estimates regarding the impact of secondary cardiovascular events on health status in patients treated for cardiovascular disease are scarce and of limited accuracy. Methods: We obtained individual patient data on health status (EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire) and secondary cardiovascular events (death, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accidents, amputation, extracranial bleeding, and reinterventions) observed during 12 to 36 months of follow-up. Data originated from five completed clinical trials on revascularization in coronary heart disease (n = 2593) or peripheral arterial disease (PAD; n = 1379). We used linear mixed-effects modeling to estimate the acute impact of the initial secondary event and the health status before and after the event. Results: A total of 1595 patients had at least one secondary event. Loss of health status just before the event ranged from 0.36 utility score for amputation in women with PAD to zero for cerebrovascular accident in men with PAD. In patients with coronary heart disease, pre-event health status loss ranged from 0.34 for extracranial bleeding in women to 0.10 for myocardial infarction in women. The acute impact of secondary events ranged from minor deterioration for cerebrovascular accident (-0.03) to improvement after all other events, ranging from +0.01 for occlusion to +0.22 for amputation. Women had significantly lower pre-event scores than did men: -0.04 to -0.10 in coronary heart disease and -0.04 to -0.27 in PAD. Older patients had mostly large but insignificantly lower pre-event scores than did younger patients (range +0.04 to -0.67). Conclusions: Secondary events after revascularization in patients with cardiovascular disease are associated with health status loss before the event, while acute impact of the events was mostly small.

Background Intensive insulin therapy to maintain normoglycemia after cardiac surgery reduces morbidity and mortality. We investigated the magnitude and duration of hyperglycemia caused by dexamethasone administered after cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods A single-center before-after cohort study was performed. All consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass during a 6-month period were included. Insulin administration was guided by a sliding scale protocol. Halfway the observation period, the dexamethasone protocol was changed. The single dose (1D) group received a pre-operative dose of dexamethasone of 1 mg/kg. The double dose group (2D) received an additional dose of 0.5 mg/kg of dexamethasone post-operatively at ICU admission. Results We included 116 patients in the 1D group and 158 patients in the 2D group. There were no significant baseline differences between the groups. Median Euroscore was 5. In univariable analysis, the glucose level was different between groups 1D and 2D at 4, 6, 9, 12 and 24 hours after ICU admission (all p < 0.001). Insulin infusion was higher in the 1D group. Corrected for insulin dose in multivariable linear analysis, the difference in glucose between the 1D and 2D groups was 1.5 mmol/L (95% confidence interval 1.0–2.0, p < 0.001) 12 hours after ICU admission. Conclusion Dexamethasone exerts a hyperglycemic effect in cardiac surgery patients. Patients receiving high-dose corticosteroid therapy should be monitored and treated more intensively for hyperglycemic episodes.