Off-pump Coronary Endarterectomy and Bypass Grafting in Patients With Diffuse Coronary Artery Disease

Objectives preliminary experience on endarterectomy and To summarize our off-pump coronary bypass grafting in patients with diffuse coronary artery disease. Methods Over a 3year period, 53 patients （41 male） with diffuse coronary artery disease underwent off-pump coronary endarterectomy and bypass grafting at our institution. Patients＇ age ranged from 55 to 79 years. Prior to surgery, 70% of patients were in CCS angina class 2 （n=5） or 3 （n=32）, and nearly half of them （26/53） had history of myocardial infarction. Most patients （n= 50） had triple vessel lesions, with left main stem involvement in 9. Their left ventricular ejection fraction ranged from 26% to 65% （mean 52%）. At the end of operation, a flow-meter was routinely applied to measure the perfusion flow of each postendarterectomy graft. Results In total, 70 endarterectomies were performed in 53 patients, including 38 in left anterior descending artery （LAD）, 8 in circumflex artery and 24 in right coronary artery. Four operations were emergency or urgent in nature. Five patients received on-lay venous patch after endarterectomy in LAD, followed by left internal mammary artery （LIMA） grafting on the patch. The graft conduits included 53 LIMAs and 2 radial arteries, and saphenous veins in others. Mean number of grafts per patient was 3.75. The overall index of complet-eness of revascularization reached 1.03±0.07. There was no death in this group of patients during their post-operative hospital stay （mean duration = 9 days）. Intra-operatively, 63 （90%） out of the 70 grafts after coronary endarterectomy showed satisfactory flow. Two patients had perioperative neither experienced signifi myocardial infarctions but cant hemodynamic deteriations. Conclusions Off-pump coronary endarterectomy with bypass grafting is technically feasible and can be coronary improve zation. performed safely in patients with diffuse artery disease. This strategy may help to the completeness of myocardial revasculariation.

Surgery for left ventricular aneurysm after myocardial infarction： techniques selection and results assessment

Background The most appropriate surgical approach for patients with post-infarction left ventricular （LV） aneurysm remains undetermined. We compared the efficacy of the linear versus patch repair techniques, and investigated the mid-term changes of LV geometry and cardiac function, for repair of LV aneurysms. Methods We reviewed the records of 194 patients who had surgery for a post-infarction LV aneurysm between 1998 and 2010. Short-term and mid-term outcomes, including complications, cardiac function and mortality, were assessed. LV end-diastolic and systolic dimensions （LVEDD and LVESD）, LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indexes （LVEDVI and LVESVI） and LV ejection fraction （LVEF） were measured on pre-operative and follow-up echocardiography. Results Overall in-hospital mortality was 4.12%, and major morbidity showed no significant differences between the two groups. Multivariate analysis identified preoperative left ventricular end diastolic pressure 〉20 mmHg, low cardiac output and aortic clamping time 〉2 hours as risk factors for early mortality. Follow-up revealed that LVEF improved from 37% pre-operation to 45% 12 months post-operation in the patch group （P=0.008）, and from 44% pre-operation to 40% 12 months postoperation in the linear group （P=0.032）. In contrast, the LVEDVI and LVESVI in the linear group were significantly reduced immediately after the operation, and increased again at follow-up. However, in the patch group, the LVEDVI and LVESVI were significantly reduced at follow-up. And there were significant differences in the correct value changes of LVEF and left ventricular remodeling between linear repair and patch groups. Conclusions Persistent reduction of LV dimensions after the patch repair procedure seems to be a procedure-related problem. The choice of the technique should be tailored on an individual basis and surgeon＇s preference. The patch remodeling technique results in a better LVEF improvement, further significant reductions in LV dimensions and volumes than does the linear repair technique. The results suggest that LV patch remodeling is a better surgical choice for patients with post-infarction LV aneurysm.

Is the use of cardiopulmonary bypass for isolated coronary artery bypass an independent predictor of mortality and morbidity in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction？

Background Patients presenting with severe left ventricular dysfunction （SLVD） undergoing conventional coronary artery bypass grafting （CCABG） are at an increased risk of perioperative mortality and morbidity. The aim of this study was to assess the risk factors responsible for mortality and morbidity among patients with SLVD by comparing CCABG and oft-pump coronary artery bypass surgery （OPCAB）. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 186 consecutive patients with SLVD who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting （CABG）, including 102 by CCABG and 84 by OPCAB. Registry database, medical notes, and charts were studied for preoperative and postoperative data of the patients. Different variables and risk factors （preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative） were evaluated and compared. The morbidity and mortality outcomes were compared in the two groups. The follow-up results and quality of life were assessed after surgery. Results The two groups had similar percentage of patients with preoperative high-risk profiles and no significant differences were found between groups in baseline variables such as age or comorbidities. There was a significant difference in the number of grafts used between the two groups. CCABG patients received （3.6±0.5） grafts per patient, while OPCAB patients had （2.7±0.6） grafts （P 〈0.05）. Completeness of revascularization was also significantly different between the two groups （CCABG 91.1% vs OPCAB 73.8%, P 〈0.05）. The hospital mortality was similar in the two groups （4.8% in OPCAB vs 5.9% in CCABG）. The risk-adjusted mortality, according to the calculated propensity score, did not reach statistical significance in the two groups. In this study, OPCAB seemed to have a beneficial effect on reducing reoperation for bleeding, blood transfusion requirement, and the length of stay at ICU. But the incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction was more common in the off-pump group （P 〈0.05）. The degree of improvement in angina and quality of life did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusions Using cardiopulmonary bypass is not an independent predictor of mortality and morbidity in patients with SLVD. Isolated CABG can be safely performed in SLVD patients with acceptable postoperative morbidity and mortality in addition to encouraging home discharge rates and higher quality of life. Therefore, CCABG remains a viable option in selected patients with SLVD.

Comparative study of on-pump and off-pump coronary bypass surgery in patients with triple-vessel coronary artery disease

Background Studies on selected patients undergoing off-pump versus on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery have produced inconsistent results, especially in patients with multiple coronary artery disease. This study compared the clinical results of on-pump and off-pump coronary bypass surgery in patients with triple-vessel disease.Methods A total of 300 consecutive isolated, multiple coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients were assigned to the off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB, n=150) or CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass (CCABG, n=150) groups. There were no significant differences regarding degree of angina, history of myocardial infarction or diabetes, and presence of left main coronary artery disease between the two groups. Ejection fraction in the OPCAB group before surgery was lower th an in the CCABG group (P<0.01). In addition, more patients had a history of stroke and abnormal renal function preoperatively in the OPCAB group(P< 0.01). In OPCAB patients, single deep pericardial stay suture with a sling snared down was used to expose the target vessels, along with a stabilizer and a coronary shunt. A Medi-Stim Butterfly Flowmeter was used to measure blood flow through grafts in both groups.Results No OPCAB patient was converted to the CCABG group. The average numbers of distal anastomoses and the indexes of completeness of revascularization (ICR) were similar in both groups. Postoperative respiratory support time and the volumes of chest tube drainage and of blood transfusions were less in the OPCAB group than in the CCABG group (both P<0.01). The postoperative incidences of pulmonary dysfunction and renal insufficiency were lower in the OPCAB group than in the CCABG group (both P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in mortality and other causes of morbidity (periopetative myocardial infarction, stroke, atrial fibrillation). Conclusions OPCAB can be applied to patients with triple-vessel coronary artery disease and can achieve similar completeness of revascularization and similar early surgical results, with shorter respiratory support, reduced transfusion requirement, and fewer cases of pulmonary dysfunction and abnormal renal function.