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Purpose: Mechanical cardiac constraint during off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB) causes right ventricle (RV) compression and increased pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), which may further compromise RV dysfunction. We aimed to assess the effect of inhaled iloprost, a potent selective pulmonary vasodilator, on the cardiac index (CI) during mechanical constraint. The secondary aim was to determine the resultant changes in the hemodynamic and respiratory parameters., Methods: A total of 100 adult patients with three-vessel coronary artery disease who had known risk factors for hemodynamic instability (congestive heart failure, mean PAP ≥ 25 mm Hg, RV systolic pressure ≥ 50 mm Hg on preoperative echocardiography, left ventricular ejection fraction < 50%, myocardial infarction within one month of surgery, redo surgery, and left main disease) were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. The patients were randomly allocated to the control or iloprost groups at a 1:1 ratio, in which saline and iloprost (20 μg) were inhaled for 15 min after internal mammary artery harvesting, respectively. Cardiac index was measured by pulmonary artery catheterization., Results: There were no significant intergroup differences in CI during grafting (P = 0.36). The mean PAP had a significant group-time interaction (P = 0.04) and was significantly lower in the iloprost group at circumflex grafting (mean [standard deviation], 26 [3] mm Hg vs 24 [3] mm Hg; P = 0.01). The remaining hemodynamic parameters were similar between the groups., Conclusion: Inhaled iloprost showed a neutral effect on hemodynamic parameters, including the CI and pulmonary vascular resistance index, during OPCAB., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04598191); first submitted 12 October 2020., (© 2023. Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society.)

Purpose: The integrity of the endothelial glycocalyx (EG), a critical player in vascular homeostasis, reportedly influences the outcomes of critically ill patients. We investigated the effect of 5% albumin, which preserved EG integrity in preclinical studies, vs balanced crystalloid solution on EG degradation in patients undergoing off-pump coronary surgery., Methods: Patients were randomized to receive either 5% albumin (N = 51) or balanced crystalloid solution (Plasma-Lyte [Baxter Incorporated, Seoul, Republic of Korea]; N = 53) for intravenous volume replacement during surgery (double-blinded). The primary outcome was plasma syndecan-1 concentration, a marker of EG degradation, measured after anesthetic induction (baseline), completion of grafting, and sternal closure. Secondary outcomes were atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, soluble thrombomodulin, and perioperative fluid balance., Results: The mean (standard deviation) fluid requirements were 833 (270) mL and 1,323 (492) mL in the albumin and Plasma-Lyte group, respectively (mean difference, -489 mL; 95% confidence interval [CI], -643 to -335; P < 0.001). Plasma syndecan-1 concentration increased after completion of grafting (median difference, 116 ng·mL -1 ; 95% CI, 67 to 184; P < 0.001) and sternal closure (median difference, 57 ng·mL -1 ; 95% CI, 36 to 80; P < 0.001) compared with those at baseline, without any intergroup differences. Atrial natriuretic peptide, TNF-α, and soluble thrombomodulin concentrations were similar between the two groups. The amount of chest tube drainage was greater in the albumin group than that in the Plasma-Lyte group (median difference, 190 mL; 95% CI, 18 to 276; P = 0.03)., Conclusion: Off-pump coronary surgery was associated with significant EG degradation. Yet, intraoperative fluid therapy with 5% albumin could not ameliorate EG degradation when compared with balanced crystalloid solution., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03699462); first posted 9 October 2018., (© 2023. Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society.)

Background: Emerging evidence advocates the use of restrictive transfusion strategies at hemoglobin (Hb) levels of approximately 7-8 g/dL in cardiac surgeries using cardiopulmonary bypass. Yet, it is unclear whether the same thresholds can be applied to off-pump coronary bypass (OPCAB) that accompanies cardiac displacement and warm regional ischemia-reperfusion injury without the aid of a bypass machine. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between perioperative nadir Hb level and outcome following OPCAB., Methods and results: Medical records of 1,360 patients were reviewed. Hb levels were serially assessed during and after surgery. The incidence of composite endpoints was 35%, which included myocardial infarction, stroke, acute kidney injury, sternal infection, reoperation, prolonged mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital mortality. The nadir Hb level was significantly lower in the morbidity group than in the non-morbidity group (8.1 [7.4-9.1] vs. 8.8 [7.9-9.8] g/dL, P<0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed nadir Hb as an independent risk factor of adverse outcome (odds ratio: 0.878, 95% confidence intervals: 0.776-0.994, P=0.04), whereas preoperative anemia and perioperative transfusion were not. The critical value of Hb for predicting detrimental outcome was 8.05 g/dL., Conclusions: A significant association is found between perioperative nadir Hb and adverse outcome after OPCAB. Although preoperative anemia was not associated with poor prognosisper se, it was the only modifiable risk factor that was closely linked to nadir Hb.

Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is a well-known predictor of adverse outcomes in the ischemic heart disease patients; however, evidence is lacking in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB). Data from 407 patients who underwent OPCAB between April 2013 and August 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. A composite of cardiovascular morbidity endpoints was defined as the presence of stroke, acute myocardial infarction, new cardiac arrhythmia (newly developed atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, or atrioventricular block), cardiovascular death, or cerebrovascular death within 30 days after surgery. Increased carotid IMT was defined as ≥0.9 mm on one or both sides. The incidence of a composite of cardiovascular morbidity endpoints was 24.0% in the normal IMT group (n = 221) and 34.4% in the increased IMT group (n = 186) (p = 0.021). Multivariable analysis revealed increased IMT (odds ratio 1.719, 95% confidence interval 1.108 to 2.666, p = 0.016) and preoperative renal replacement therapy (odds ratio 4.264, 95% confidence interval 1.679 to 10.829, p = 0.002) as independent predictors of a composite of cardiovascular morbidity endpoints. In patients undergoing OPCAB, preoperative assessment of carotid IMT may help predicting the development of a postoperative composite of cardiovascular morbidity endpoints.

Background: In fasting cardiac surgery patients, preoperative carbohydrate (CHO) drink intake attenuated insulin resistance and improved cardiac metabolism, although its beneficial effects were not evident after cardiac surgery possibly due to cardiopulmonary bypass-related extreme systemic inflammation., Objective: We aimed to evaluate whether preoperative CHO intake affected insulin resistance and free-fatty acid (FFA) concentrations in off-pump coronary revascularisation., Design: A randomised controlled trial., Setting: Primary care in a university hospital in Korea from January 2015 to July 2016., Patients: Sixty patients who underwent elective multi-vessel off-pump coronary revascularisation were randomised into two groups. Three patients were excluded from analysis and 57 patients completed study., Intervention: The CHO group received oral CHO (400 ml) the prior evening and 2 to 3 h before surgery, and the control group was fasted from food and water according to standard protocol., Main Outcome Measures: Insulin resistance was assessed twice, after anaesthetic induction and after surgery via short insulin tolerance test. FFA, C-reactive protein and creatine kinase-myocardial band concentrations were determined serially for 48 h after surgery., Results: Insulin sensitivity was greater (P = 0.002) and plasma FFA concentrations were lower (P = 0.001) after anaesthetic induction in the CHO group compared with the Control group, although there were no intergroup differences after surgery. The postoperative peak creatine kinase-myocardial band concentration was significantly lower in the CHO group compared with the Control group [8.8 (5.4 to 18.2) vs. 6.4 (3.5 to 9.7) ng ml, P = 0.031]., Conclusion: A preoperative CHO supplement significantly reduced insulin resistance and FFA concentrations compared with fasting at the beginning of the surgery, but these benefits were lost after off-pump coronary revascularisation. Despite their transient nature, these beneficial effects resulted in less myocardial injury, mandating further studies focused on the impact of preoperative CHO on myocardial ischaemia and cardiac function after coronary revascularisation., Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT 02330263.

Background: We aimed to investigate the ability of rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) thresholds for coagulopathy to predict increased perioperative blood loss in off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery (OPCABG) and its association with transfusion requirement., Methods: The data of 303 patients undergoing OPCABG were retrospectively analyzed. Perioperative blood loss and transfusion requirement were compared according to the presence of abnormal ROTEM thresholds, which were tested after anesthesia induction and heparin reversal. Logistic regression analyses were performed to predict significant perioperative blood loss (more than 20% of estimated blood volume)., Results: After graft completion, 92 patients (30%) exhibited abnormal ROTEM thresholds and showed significantly higher perioperative blood loss (median 840 mL [interquartile range: 646 to 1,102 mL] versus median 690 [interquartile range: 530 to 850 mL], p < 0.001) and greater transfusion requirement (both in the number of patients receiving transfusion and the median number of transfused units) of packed erythrocytes and fresh frozen plasma than patients exhibiting no ROTEM thresholds. After multivariate analysis of preoperative anemia, postoperative international normalized ratio greater than 1.3, and ROTEM thresholds, only ROTEM threshold (odds ratio 3.45, 95% confidence interval: 2.00 to 5.97, p < 0.001) remained an independent predictor of significant perioperative blood loss, which occurred in 79 patients (26%)., Conclusions: Abnormal ROTEM thresholds after heparin reversal were found to be associated with significant perioperative bleeding and transfusion requirement in OPCABG. Rotational thromboelastometry may allow timely hemostatic interventions to reduce blood loss and transfusion in OPCABG., (Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common morbidity after off-pump coronary revascularization. We investigated whether perioperative administration of sodium bicarbonate, which might reduce renal injury by alleviating oxidative stress in renal tubules, prevents postoperative AKI in off-pump coronary revascularization patients having renal risk factors., Methods: Patients (n=162) having at least one of the following AKI risk factors were enrolled: (i) age >70 yr; (ii) diabetes mellitus; (iii) chronic renal disease; (iv) congestive heart failure or left ventricular ejection fraction <35%; and (v) reoperation or emergency. Patients were evenly randomized to receive either sodium bicarbonate (0.5 mmol kg -1 for 1 h upon induction of anaesthesia followed by 0.15 mmol kg -1 h -1 for 23 h) or 0.9% saline. Acute kidney injury within 48 h after surgery was assessed using the Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria., Results: The incidences of AKI were 21 and 26% in the bicarbonate and control groups, respectively (P=0.458). Serially measured serum creatinine concentrations and perioperative fluid balance were also comparable between the groups. The length of postoperative hospitalization and incidence of morbidity end points were similar between the groups, whereas significantly more patients in the bicarbonate group required prolonged mechanical ventilation (>24 h) relative to the control group (20 vs 6, P=0.003)., Conclusions: Perioperative sodium bicarbonate administration did not decrease the incidence of AKI after off-pump coronary revascularization in high-risk patients and might even be associated with a need for prolonged ventilatory care., Clinical Trial Registration: NCT01840241., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of perioperative N-acetylcysteine (NAC) administration, a known antioxidant, on the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after off-pump coronary bypass surgery (OPCAB) in patients with known risk factors of AKI., Methods: One hundred and seventeen patients with ≥1 of the following risk factors of AKI were randomized into either the control (n = 57) or the NAC (n = 60) group; (i) preoperative serum creatinine >1.4 mg/dL; (ii) left ventricular ejection fraction <35% or congestive heart failure (iii) age >70 years (iv) diabetes or (v) re-operation. Patients in the NAC group received 150 mg/kg of NAC IV bolus at anaesthetic induction followed by a continuous infusion at 150 mg/kg per day for 24 h. AKI was diagnosed based on Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria during 48 h postoperatively., Results: The incidence of AKI was 32% (19/60) and 35% (20/57) in the control and the NAC group, respectively (P = 0.695). The serum concentrations of creatinine and cystatin C were similar between the groups throughout the study period. Fluid balance including the amount of blood loss and transfusion requirement were similar between the groups except the amount of postoperative urine output, which was higher in the control group compared with the NAC group (5528 ± 1247 mL vs. 4982 ± 1185 mL, control vs. NAC, P = 0.017)., Conclusion: Perioperative administration of NAC did not prevent the development of postoperative AKI after OPCAB in highly susceptible patients to AKI., (© 2014 Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology.)

Background: The purpose of the present study was to compare outcome in propensity score-matched patients, aged 70 years or greater, undergoing isolated off-pump coronary bypass surgery using a bilateral (BITA) or single (SITA) skeletonized internal thoracic artery., Methods: Of 912 consecutive patients undergoing isolated coronary bypass grafting (906 using the off-pump technique without emergent conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass), the 491 aged 70 years or greater undergoing off-pump skeletonized single (n=247) or bilateral (n=244) skeletonized internal thoracic artery grafting were retrospectively analyzed after excluding the 6 who were transferred to our hospital after receiving percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass, the 72 who had only 1 target in the left coronary area, and the 343 aged less than 70 years. A total of 217 pairs were matched using propensity scores calculated from 9 preoperative factors (0.69)., Results: The rate of postoperative complications was similar between the groups. The 5-year estimated survival free from overall death and cardiac event, respectively, in the BITA group versus the SITA group were 86.4%±3.2% versus 73.5%±3.9% (p=0.01) and 93.2%±2.7% versus 87.5%±3.0% (p=0.01). In multivariate Cox models, bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting was significantly associated with a lower risk of overall death (hazard ratio 0.56; 95% confidence interval 0.31 to 0.99; p=0.04) and cardiac event (hazard ratio 0.36; 95% confidence interval 0.15 to 0.88; p=0.03)., Conclusions: In elderly patients, off-pump in situ left-sided bilateral skeletonized internal thoracic artery grafting is associated with lower risk of overall death and cardiac event than single internal thoracic artery grafting and carries no increased operative risk., (Copyright © 2012 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) and atrial fibrillation (AF) after isolated off-pump coronary bypass surgery., Methods: Of 683 consecutive patients undergoing isolated coronary bypass surgery by a single surgeon between January 2002 and March 2009, 552 were retrospectively analyzed after excluding the following 131 cases: on-pump surgery (n = 6), chronic AF (n = 14), pacemaker rhythm (n = 7), and preoperative CRP of ≥ 10 mg l(-1) (n = 104). We analyzed the correlation on a continuous basis per 1 SD increase in the logarithmically transformed value of CRP and on a group basis CRP level categorized into three groups: <1.0 mg l(-1), n = 196; 1.0-3.0 mg l(-1), n = 220; and 3.0-10.0 mg l(-1), n = 136., Results: AF occurred in 121 patients (21.9%, 121/552) of patients after surgery. The median value (interquartile range) of preoperative CRP (mg l(-1)) was significantly higher in patients who developed AF than in those who did not (2.2 (1.0-4.2) vs 1.3 (0.6-2.5), p = 0.001). The rate of 7-day survival free from AF was 65.4% in patients with CRP of 3.0-10.0 mg l(-1), 79.9% in those with CRP of 1.0-3.0 mg l(-1), and 85.7% in those with CRP of <1.0 mg l(-1) (log-rank test: p = 0.001). The unadjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for the association between CRP and postoperative AF was 1.65 (1.32-2.06) per 1 SD increase and 3.17 (1.86-5.40) for patients with CRP of 3.0-10.0 mg l(-1) versus those with levels of <1.0 mg l(-1). This association persisted after adjustment for the univariate predictors (1.43 (1.22-1.97) per 1 SD increase; 2.88 (1.67-4.97) for patients with CRP of 3.0-10.0 mg l(-1) vs <1.0 mg l(-1)) or the known risk factors (1.34 (1.18-1.86) per 1 SD increase; 2.52 (1.54-4.36) for patients with CRP of 3.0-10.0 mg l(-1) vs <1.0 mg l(-1)). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (95% confidence interval) for preoperative CRP as a predictor of postoperative AF was 0.68 (0.62-0.74) (p = 0.001)., Conclusions: Preoperative CRP is independently associated with the occurrence of AF after isolated off-pump coronary bypass surgery., (Copyright © 2011 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: We compared short-term outcomes of patients with chronic dialysis receiving bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) grafting with single internal thoracic artery (SITA) grafting using propensity score analysis., Methods: Between 2002 and 2008, 656 consecutive patients underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (99.1% off-pump). Of these, 56 patients with chronic dialysis and multivessel disease were retrospectively compared according to surgical technique, BITA (n = 32) or SITA (n = 23) grafting. In an attempt to minimize the selection bias, propensity scores were created based on 13 preoperative factors (C statistics, 0.914)., Results: There was no significant difference in age, left ventricular ejection fraction, prevalence of diabetes mellitus, and logistic euroSCORE between the 2 groups. All patients underwent revascularization using the off-pump technique without conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass. All arterial conduits were harvested using skeletonization technique. Except for 1 patient, all ITAs were used as in situ graft. Complete revascularization was achieved in all patients. There was no significant difference in occurrence of mediastinitis, impaired wound healing, and stroke between the 2 groups. The 30-day mortality was 6.3% in the BITA group and 13.0% in the SITA group (P = .64). After adjusting for propensity score, BITA grafting was not associated with impaired wound healing (odds ratio, 0.63; 95% confidence interval, 0.04 to 8.79; P = .73) and 30-day mortality (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.05 to 6.82; P = .68)., Conclusion: In situ skeletonized BITA grafting is safe and feasible in dialysis patients with multivessel disease.