Does Gender Influence Resource Utilization in Patients Undergoing Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery?

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine if gender influences duration of tracheal intubation, blood transfusion needs, intensive care unit length of stay (ICULOS), postoperative length of stay (PLOS), and total length of stay (LOS) in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery. Design: Retrospective study of consecutive patients undergoing OPCAB surgery. Setting: University teaching hospital. Tertiary care referral center for cardiac surgery. Participants: Three hundred seventy-two consecutive male and female patients undergoing OPCAB surgery. There were 110 women and 262 men. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Gender, duration of tracheal intubation, units of blood transfused, ICULOS, PLOS, and LOS were collected from the records of patients undergoing OPCAB surgery at the authors’ institution over a period of 16 months. There were a total of 372 patients: 110 women and 262 men. Median intubation time was 4.5 hours for women and 4.0 hours for men ( p = 0.749); 59.1% of women received red blood cells versus 31.3% of men ( p < 0.001). Median ICU LOS was 1 day for women and 1 day for men ( p = 0.597) Median PLOS was 4 days for women and 4 days for men. Median LOS was 8 days for women and 6 days for men ( p = 0.001). Conclusion: Female sex was a predictor of increased blood transfusion and longer PLOS and LOS in patients undergoing OPCAB surgery. The study implies that female sex does not predict increased duration of tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation and ICULOS in this group of patients. Females undergoing OPCAB surgery require increased resource utilization as measured by increases in blood transfusion, PLOS, and LOS.