Abstract 2298: Impact of Preopeartive Anemia on Long-term Outcomes Following Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Abstract

Background: The prognostic and clinical value of preopeartive anemia in patients undergoing cardiac surgery has recently been recognized. However, very limited information exists on the impact of preopeartive anemia on long-term outcomes following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. This study aimed at examining the degree to which preopeartive anemia affects long-term outcomes after isolated CABG surgery. Methods: A unicenter study was conducted on 5488 consecutive survivors of isolated CABG between January 1999 and December 2005. Preopeartive anemia was defined according to the World Health Organization definition (hemoglobin < 13g/dL for male; hemoglobin < 12g/dL for female). Long-term outcomes of interest were total mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), repeated revascularization, and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs=total mortality or MI or repeated revascularization). These outcomes were compared after adjustment for differences in baseline risk factors among the patients. Results: 1437 (26.2%) patients had preoperative anemia. After a mean follow-up of 43.3±18.3 months, preoperative anemia was found to be an independent risk factor for total mortality (hazard ration [HR]: 1.490; 95% CI: 1.074 to 2.067; p=0.017), MI (HR: 1.595; 95% CI: 1.028 to 2.474; p=0.037) and MACEs (HR: 1.363; 95% CI: 1.059 to 1.755; p=0.016). We also found that aspirins and beta-blockers were underused in patients with anemia during follow-up. Conclusions: Preopeartive anemia has a strong negative impact on long-term outcomes following isolated CABG. Our data also suggest that the incorporation of preoperative anemia into the risk assessments of long-term outcomes after CABG is recommended. Future intense and systematic studies are needed to help ensure high-quality cardiac care of patients with anemia.