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Background: Most recent published meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showed that off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) reduces incidence of stroke by 30% compared with on-pump CABG, but showed no difference in other outcomes. New RCTs were published, indicating need of new meta-analysis to investigate pooled results adding these further studies., Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL/CCTR, SciELO, LILACS, Google Scholar and reference lists of relevant articles were searched for RCTs that compared outcomes (30-day mortality for all-cause, myocardial infarction or stroke) between off-pump versus on-pump CABG until May 2012. The principal summary measures were relative risk (RR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) and P values (considered statistically significant when <0.05). The RR's were combined across studies using DerSimonian-Laird random effects weighted model. Meta-analysis and meta-regression were completed using the software Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2 (Biostat Inc., Englewood, New Jersey, USA)., Results: Forty-seven RCTs were identified and included 13,524 patients (6,758 for off-pump and 6,766 for on-pump CABG). There was no significant difference between off-pump and on-pump CABG groups in RR for 30-day mortality or myocardial infarction, but there was difference about stroke in favor to off-pump CABG (RR 0.793, 95% CI 0.660-0.920, P=0.049). It was observed no important heterogeneity of effects about any outcome, but it was observed publication bias about outcome "stroke". Meta-regression did not demonstrate influence of female gender, number of grafts or age in outcomes., Conclusion: Off-pump CABG reduces the incidence of post-operative stroke by 20.7% and has no substantial effect on mortality or myocardial infarction in comparison to on-pump CABG. Patient gender, number of grafts performed and age do not seem to explain the effect of off-pump CABG on mortality, myocardial infarction or stroke, respectively.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the applicability of a Brazilian score for predicting atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients undergoing heart valve surgery in the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery of Pronto Socorro Cardiológico de Pernambuco - PROCAPE (Recife, PE, Brazil)., Methods: Retrospective study involving 491 consecutive patients operated between May/2007 and December/2010. The registers contained all the information used to calculate the score. The outcome of interest was AF. We calculated association of model factors with AF (univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis), and association of risk score classes with AF., Results: The incidence of AF was 31.2%. In multivariate analysis, the four variables of the score were predictors of postoperative AF: age >70 years (OR 6.82; 95%CI 3.34-14.10; P<0.001), mitral valve disease (OR 3.18; 95%CI 1.83-5.20; P<0.001), no use of beta-blocker or discontinuation of its use in the postoperative period (OR 1.63; 95%CI 1.05-2.51; P=0.028), total fluid balance > 1500 ml at first 24 hours (OR 1.92; 95%CI 1.28-2.88; P=0.002). We observed that the higher the risk class of the patient (low, medium, high, very high), the greater is the incidence of postoperative AF (4.2%; 18.1%; 30.8%; 49.2%), showing that the model seems to be a good predictor of risk of postoperative AF, in a statistically significant association (P<0.001)., Conclusions: The Brazilian score proved to be a simple and objective index, revealing a satisfactory predictor of development of postoperative AF in patients undergoing heart valve surgery at our institution.

Objective: To report the incidence of mediastinitis in cardiovascular surgery postoperation., Methods: The records of all 1038 patients who underwent cardiovascular surgical procedures between May/2007 and June/2009 were reviewed. All operations were performed in Division of Cardiovascular Surgery of Pronto Socorro Cardiológico de Pernambuco - PROCAPE., Results: The complication occurred within, on average, 13 days after operation, in total of 25 (2.4%), eight (32%) deaths occurred. Several risk factors mediastinitis were identified: 56% diabetes, 56% smokers, 20% obeses, 16% with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 8% of chronic renal failure. Mediastinitis were reported in 21 (84%) cases of patients submitted to coronary artery bypass grafting, being associated to major risk of infection development (IC 3.448.30, P=0.0001). High rates of complications were observed: respiratory insufficiency (44%), stroke (16%), cardiogenic shock (12%), acute renal failure (28%), pulmonary infection (36%), multiple organs failure (16%) and esternal deiscence (48%). Bacterial cultures of exudates were positive in 84% of patients; Staphylococcus aureus was the most responsible pathogen (28.8%)., Conclusion: Mediastinitis stays a serious surgical complication and difficult management in cardiovascular surgery postoperation. The disease stays with low incidence, but still with high lethality. Coronary bypass was associated to major risk of infection development.