Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Procedures Research Articles

P27 DOPPLER ULTRASOUND SELECTION AND FOLLOW–UP OF THE INTERNAL MAMMARY ARTERY AS CORONARY GRAFT

Abstract The impact of coronary artery disease (CAD) on all–cause mortality and overall disabilities is well–established. Percutaneous and/or surgical coronary revascularization procedures dramatically reduced the occurrence of adverse cardiovascular events in patients suffering with atherosclerosis. Specifically, guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology on the management of myocardial revascularization promoted coronary artery by–pass graft (CABG) intervention in patients with specific alterations in coronary tree due to higher beneficial effects of this procedure as compared to percutaneous one. Left internal mammary artery (LIMA) is one of the best–performing vessels in CABG procedures due to its location and its own structural characteristics. Nevertheless, non–invasive assessment of its patency is challenging. Doppler Ultrasonography (DU) might perform as a reliable technique for non–invasive evaluation of the patency of LIMA. Data from literature revealed that DU may detect severe (>70%) stenosis of the LIMA graft. In this case, pulsed–wave Doppler might show peak diastolic velocity/peak systolic velocity < 0.5 and diastolic fraction < 50%). Stress test might also be adopted for the evaluation of patency of LIMA through DU. The aim of this narrative review is to evaluate the impact of DU on the evaluation of the patency of LIMA graft in patients who undergo follow–up after CABG intervention. The aim of this narrative review is to evaluate the impact of DU on the evaluation of the patency of LIMA graft in patients who undergo follow–up after CABG intervention.

Left anterior minithoracotomy as a first-choice approach for isolated coronary artery bypass grafting and selective combined procedures.

Our goal was to describe the technique for and evaluate the results of the isolated coronary artery bypass grafting or combined grafting procedures with mitral valve repair/replacement and/or left ventricle aneurysm repair performed through a single left anterior minithoracotomy. Perioperative data of all patients who required isolated or combined coronary grafting from July 2017 to December 2021 were observed. The focus was on 560 patients who underwent isolated or combined multivessel coronary bypass using the "Total Coronary Revascularization via left Anterior Thoracotomy" technique. The main perioperative outcomes were analysed. A left anterior minithoracotomy was used in 521 (97.7%) out of 533 patients who required isolated multivessel surgical coronary revascularization and in 39 (32.5%) out of 120 patients who required combined procedures. In 39 patients, multivessel grafting was combined with 25 mitral valve and 22 left ventricular procedures. Mitral valve repair was performed through the aneurysm (n = 8) or through the interatrial septum (n = 17). Perioperative outcomes in isolated and combined groups were next: aortic cross-clamp time-71.9 (SD: 19.9) and 120 (SD: 25.8) min; cardiopulmonary bypass time-145.7 (SD: 33.5) and 216 (SD: 45.8) min; total operating time-269 (SD: 51.8) and 324 (SD: 52.1) min; intensive care unit stay-2 (2-2) and 2 (2-2) days; total hospital stay-6 (5-7) and 6 (5-7) days; and total 30-day mortality was 0.54 and 0%, respectively. A left anterior minithoracotomy can be effectively used as a first-choice approach to perform isolated multivessel coronary grafting and can be combined with mitral valve and/or left ventricular repair. Experience with isolated coronary grafting through an anterior minithoracotomy is required to achieve the satisfactory results in combined procedures.

Impact of surgical approach on development of surgical-site infection following internal mammary-artery, coronary-artery bypass graft procedures.

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PO-01-020 PERI-OPERATIVE AMIODARONE PROPHYLAXIS IN CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY: IMPACTS ON POST-OPERATIVE LENGTH OF STAY ACCORDING TO PROCEDURE TYPES

Post-operative Atrial Fibrillation (POAF), occurring in nearly 20-50 percent of cardiovascular surgery (CVS) patients, is associated with prolonged hospitalization and excess costs of care. Peri-operative Amiodarone prophylaxis has been an effective strategy to reduce the incidence of POAF. A retrospective evaluation of the impact of Amiodarone prophylaxis on post-operative length of hospital (LOS) stay, according to CVS procedure types. Hospitalization information was available for 2704 consecutive CVS patients at a single tertiary care centre (2013-2016). CVS included standalone, or combined procedures that involved: valvular heart surgery (VHS), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), and other miscellaneous procedures (e.g. ascending aorta replacement, endarterectomy). Hierarchical linear regression was used to evaluate the impact of Amiodarone prophylaxis on LOS, adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics. Among the 2704 patients, there were 866 (32.0%) cases of POAF. LOS, was significantly longer in patients with POAF (+2.78 days, p<0.001). LOS was 1.62 days shorter in patients who received Amiodarone prophylaxis (p=0.007). Within all operative categories, LOS was shorter in patients receiving amiodarone prophylaxis, though statistical significance was only observed in VHS (including VHS + other) and VHS + CABG procedure types. Specifically, Amiodarone prophylaxis was associated with shorter LOS among: patients who had CABG but not VHS (8.26 versus 9.45 days, p= 0.29), patients who had VHS but not CABG (7.62 versus 11.02 days, p<0.001), patients undergoing VHS + CABG (9.36 vs. 12.41 days, p<0.03), and patients undergoing VHS + CABG + other (13.54 versus 15.09 days, p= 0.74). After adjusting for demographic-clinical covariates in a hierarchical multiple regression, Amiodarone prophylaxis remained an independent predictor of shorter LOS (b= -2.3 [-3.7, -0.93], p= 0.001). Other independent predictors included: left atrial diameter of >40 mm (b= 1.7 [0.90, 2.85], p< 0.001), female sex (b= 1.4 [0.56, 2.19], p= 0.001), history of heart failure (b= 2.1 [0.94, 3.30], p< 0.001), and CVS involving VHS + CABG (b= 1.4 [0.15, 2.67], p= 0.03), and VHS + CABG + other (b= 5.1 [2.51, 7.72], p<0.001). Amiodarone prophylaxis is independently associated with significantly shorter LOS following CVS.

Quantitative flow ratio and graft outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting surgery: A retrospective study

ObjectiveQuantitative flow ratio (QFR) is a novel noninvasive tool for the functional assessment of coronary stenosis. Whether or not QFR could predict graft outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting procedure is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association of QFR value with graft outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. MethodsThe QFR values were retrospectively obtained from patients receiving coronary artery bypass grafting surgery from 2017 to 2019 in the Graft Patency Between No-Touch Vein Harvesting Technique and Conventional Approach in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (PATENCY) trial. QFR calculation was conducted in eligible coronary arteries, defined as those with ≥50% stenosis and a diameter ≥1.5 mm. A threshold of QFR ≤0.80 was considered functionally significant stenosis. The primary outcome was graft occlusion at 12 months evaluated by computed tomography angiography. ResultsTwo thousand twenty-four patients with 7432 grafts (2307 arterial grafts and 5125 vein grafts) were included. For the arterial grafts, the risk of 12-month occlusion was significantly increased in the QFR >0.80 group than in the QFR ≤0.80 group (7.1% vs 2.6%; P = .001; unadjusted model: odds ratio, 3.08; 95% CI, 1.65-5.75; fully adjusted model: odds ratio, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.44-4.97). No significant association was observed in the vein grafts (4.6% vs 4.3%; P = .67; unadjusted model: odds ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.82-1.47; fully adjusted model: odds ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.83-1.51). Results were stable across sensitivity analyses with a QFR threshold of 0.78 and 0.75. ConclusionsTarget vessel QFR >0.80 was associated with a significantly higher risk of arterial graft occlusion at 12 months after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. No significant association was found between target lesion QFR and vein graft occlusion.

Surgical intervention of myocardial bridge combined coronary artery disease: could a combination of supra-arterial myotomy and CABG be a better option?

BackgroundThe treatment of coronary artery disease combined with severe atherosclerotic stenosis proximal to a left anterior descending artery myocardial bridge (LAD-MB) is still controversial. This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of surgical intervention in patients with severe atherosclerotic stenosis proximal to a LAD-MB.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed all patients with coronary artery disease combined with severe atherosclerotic stenosis proximal to the LAD-MB. The enrolled criteria were systolic compression of LAD more than or equal to 50% and atherosclerotic stenosis proximal to the LAD-MB more than or equal to 70%. All patients suffered from anginal symptoms refractory to medical therapy. All patients received supra-arterial myotomy and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. Clinical characteristics, intraoperative findings, and postoperative outcomes were evaluated.ResultsBetween 2004 and 2021, sixteen patients underwent supra-arterial myotomy and CABG procedure. The compression and length of LAD-MB were 63 ± 17.9% and 25.9 ± 16.3 mm, respectively. Of the 16 patients, one patient had a LAD-MB and proximal coronary stenosis, and 15 patients had LAD-MBs and multivessel lesions. All patients survived and recovered uneventfully without in-hospital mortality or severe complications. The median transfusion amount of red blood cells in the operation was 2 units, and no patients required unplanned reoperation for bleeding. The average length of intensive care unit stay was 2.74 days. Fifteen patients were followed up for 6–146.1 months (mean 45.3 ± 42.9 months). One patient had a recurrence of angina pectoris one year after surgery, and 14 patients had no symptoms of myocardial ischemia during the follow-up period. Significant improvement in symptoms and quality of life using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire assessment was observed in all five categories after surgery (p < 0.01).ConclusionsBased on the results, supra-arterial myotomy and concomitant bypass surgery may be a better option for the treatment of LAD-MB combined with severe proximal stenosis.

Use of pre-operative hemoglobin a1c to predict early post-operative renal failure and infection risks in patients who are not diabetics and undergoing elective off pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Recent studies have indicated that patients, both with and without diabetes with an increased HbA1c, have a higher rate of adverse outcomes following cardiac surgeries. Our study is focused on to evaluate the prognostic impact of admission value of HbA1c in non-diabetic patients for postoperative renal failure and infections. Plasma HbA1c levels were collected from 200 consecutive nondiabetic patients who got admitted for elective off pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedure over a 2-year period under two groups, Group A whose HbA1c was < 6% at admission and Group B whose HbA1c was ≥6% and ≤6.4% at admission. After surgery, patients were followed up to see if they have got infection or renal failure as postoperative complication. Student's unpaired t test was used to test the significance of difference between the quantitative variables, Yate's and Fisher's chi square tests were used for qualitative variables. We found early postoperative renal failure in 14 (3/96 in Group A and 11/104 in Group B) out of 200 patients (7%) and infection in 21 (8/96 in Group A and 13/104 in Group B) out of 200 patients (10.5%). After data analysis, it was noted that there is a positive correlation between HbA1c and postoperative renal failure (P = 0.0213) whereas no association was found between HbA1c and postoperative infections (P = 0.175) in patients undergoing off-pump CABG surgery. In patients without diabetes, a plasma HbA1c ≥6% was a significant independent predictor for early postoperative renal failure.

A single-patient-use ECG system for cardiothoracic surgery admissions in the UK: A cost-consequence analysis.

Deep sternal wound infections (DSWI) are severe complications in up to 1.36% of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures in the United Kingdom. Each event adds between £4,000 and £11,000 in healthcare costs, owing primarily to prolonged hospitalisations. ECG devices have been shown to convey infection throughout perioperative CABG. On the other hand, single-patient ECG devices (spECG) can effectively reduce the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI), including DSWI, but no assessment of spECG impact in NHS cardiac units has been conducted. To estimate the impact of spECG on NHS cardiac units, we conducted a cost-consequence analysis modeling the CABG care pathway in the United Kingdom using Simul8 software for a probabilistic, individual-patient simulation. The simulation time was 1 year, with each patient followed from admission through 30 days post-discharge. The base case simulation mirrors the cardiac unit of Bart Health NHS Trust, London. A total of 2,183 patients are generated with demographic and clinical attributes from probabilistic distributions informed by hospital-specific inputs from NHS Digital Data. The Brompton Harefield Infection Score (BHIS) is allocated to gauge the risk of SSI. Results are averaged across 50 independent and randomly seeded iterations. Simulation results indicate a base-case savings of £388 per patient, determined by the incidence of infections rather than the number of CABG procedures. In the base-case simulation, the mean cost of care with rECG was £13,096, whereas the mean cost with spECG was £12,708, resulting in a cost saving of £388 (2021 GBP). The simulation yielded an overall 8.6% SSI incidence rECG, whereas the incidence of SSIs with spECG was 6.9%. The model was most sensitive to changes in general ward and ICU costs, and infection incidence was a stronger predictor of potential per-patient savings than annual CABG volume. Single-patient ECG is a sustainable and effective alternative to reusable ECG cables and lead wires in terms of patient safety and resource allocation.

Prediction of Male Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Outcomes Using Body Surface Area Weighted Left Ventricular End-diastolic Diameter: Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

The presence of a high left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) has been linked to a less favorable outcome in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. However, by taking into consideration the reference of left ventricular size and volume measurements relative to the patient's body surface area (BSA), it has been suggested that the accuracy of the predicting outcomes may be improved. We propose that BSA weighted LVEDD (bLVEDD) is a more accurate predictor of outcomes in patients undergoing CABG compared to simply using LVEDD alone. This study was a comprehensive retrospective cohort study that was conducted across multiple medical centers. The inclusion criteria for this study were patients who were admitted for treatment between October 2016 and May 2021. Only elective surgery patients were included in the study, while those undergoing emergency surgery were not considered. All participants in the study received standard care, and their clinical data were collected through the institutional registry in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Adult Cardiac Database. bLVEDD was defined as LVEDD divided by BSA. The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality (30 days), and the secondary outcomes were postoperative severe adverse events, including use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, multiorgan failure, use of intra-aortic balloon pump, postoperative stroke, and postoperative myocardial infarction. In total, 9474 patients from 5 centers under the Chinese Cardiac Surgery Registry were eligible for analysis. We found that a high LVEDD was a negative factor for male patients' mortality (odds ratio 1.44, P<.001) and secondary outcomes. For female patients, LVEDD was associated with secondary outcomes but did not reach statistical differences for morality. bLVEDD showed a strong association with postsurgery mortality (odds ratio 2.70, P<.001), and secondary outcomes changed in parallel with bLVEDD in male patients. However, bLVEDD did not reach statistical differences when fitting either mortality or severer outcomes in female patients. In male patients, the categorical bLVEDD showed high power to predict mortality (area under the curve [AUC] 0.71, P<.001) while BSA (AUC 0.62) and LVEDD (AUC 0.64) both contributed to the risk of mortality but were not as significant as bLVEDD (P<.001). bLVEDD is an important predictor for male mortality in CABG, removing the bias of BSA and showing a strong capability to accurately predict mortality outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02400125; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02400125.

Mastering the Learning Curve for Robotic-Assisted Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

BackgroundPrevious studies have evaluated the learning curve to achieve competency in robotic-assisted coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) but have not identified thresholds for mastery. Robotic-assisted CABG is a minimally invasive alternative to sternotomy CABG. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term outcomes of this procedure and to estimate the threshold for achieving mastery. MethodsFrom 2009 to 2020, 1000 robotic-assisted CABG procedures were performed at a single institution. Robotic left internal mammary artery (LIMA) harvest followed by off-pump, LIMA–left anterior descending artery grafting using a 4-cm thoracotomy was performed. Short-term outcomes were obtained from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons database, and long-term follow-up was obtained by telephone questionnaires from dedicated research nurses for all patients more than 1 year from surgery. ResultsMean patient age was 64 ± 11 years, Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality was 1.1% ± 1.5%, and 76% (758) of patients were men. Thirty-day mortality occurred in 6 patients (0.6%; observed-to-expected ratio, 0.53), 5 patients (0.5%) experienced a postoperative stroke, and postoperative LIMA patency was 97.2% (491/505). Mean procedure time decreased from 195 minutes to 176 minutes, and conversion to sternotomy decreased from 4.4% (22/500) to 1.6% (8/500) after 500 cases. Short-term outcomes suggested expertise was reached between 250 and 500 cases. Long-term follow-up was completed in 97% of patients (873/896) with a median follow-up of 3.9 years (interquartile range, 1.8-5.8), and the overall survival rate was 89% (777). ConclusionsRobotic-assisted CABG can be performed safely with excellent results even during a surgeon’s early experience. However the learning curve to achieve mastery is longer than required to achieve competency, with a threshold of approximately 250 to 500 cases.

Risk factors of in-hospital mortality for isolated on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery in the northeast of Iran from 2007 to 2016.

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is the most common cardiac surgery worldwide. The reported mortality rates for this operation vary greatly. We aimed to determine the risk factors of in-hospital mortality for isolated on-pump CABG surgery. This was a large-scale retrospective cohort study of two heart centers in Golestan province. Patients over the age of 18 from both genders who underwent isolated on-pump CABG procedures from 2007 to 2016 were included. The study outcome was in-hospital mortality, which was determined according to the clinical records of study patients. A total of 3704 patients were included in the study, and 63% were men. In-hospital mortality occurred in 2.8% (n=103) of the patients. The median (IQR) age of survived and not-survived patients were 59 (53-65) and 62 (55-75) years, respectively. 44% of the mortalities occurred in patients older than 65, while28% of the survivors were older than 65. Multivariable logistic regression indicated that emergency CABG (OR 4.52, 95% CI, 1.45, 14.02; P = 0.009) and cardiopulmonary bypass time (CPB) (OR 1.004, 95% CI 1.001, 1.008; P = 0.034) were the risk factors of in-hospital mortality. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of the model consisting of operative and preoperative variables was 0.70 (acceptable performance). Our study revealed an acceptable mortalityproportion for CABG surgeries conducted in the region. Emergency CABG and CPB time were the main risk factors for in-hospital mortality after CABG.

Ninety-day all-cause emergency room use among coronary artery bypass grafting patients associated with near-infrared fluorescence imaging: a retrospective cohort study.

This retrospective cohort study included adult patients with inpatient hospitalizations between January 2016 and June 2020 for an isolated CABG procedure at a US hospital. Propensity score matching was used to create matched cohorts to address the differences in patient, payer type, hospital, and clinical characteristics. A multivariable regression analysis was conducted to determine the association of NIRF imaging with ICG on ER use within 90 days of discharge after controlling for patient, payer type, hospital, and clinical covariates. In total, 230506 adult patients underwent an isolated CABG procedure. Less than 1% (n=1965) were assessed with NIRF imaging using ICG. There were differences in patient demographic and hospital characteristics between the treatment group (i.e. NIRF with ICG) and the comparison group (i.e. no NIRF with ICG). After controlling for covariates, a statistically significant lower 90-day all-cause ER use was documented among the treatment group (adjusted odds ratio=0.84, 95% confidence interval=0.73-0.96, P<0.009). Reasons associated with ER use were similar between the two groups. Routine intraoperative graft patency assessment with NIRF imaging using ICG may help to improve a patient's care experience and reduce subsequent resource utilization. Intraoperative graft patency assessment with NIRF imaging using ICG is associated with a 90-day all-cause ER use reduction among CABG patients. Further studies are needed to compare the ER usage among centers that used this technique versus those that did not to determine if associated reductions in ER use are a center or technique-specific phenomenon.

Comparison of meta-analytical estimates of outcomes after Alfieri or neochordal repair in isolated anterior mitral prolapse.

Repair of the isolated degenerative anterior mitral leaflet has been considered more challenging and associated with compromised durability compared with isolated posterior leaflet in major series. Implantation of neochordae or Alfieri edge-to-edge is the most employed repair technique for isolated anterior repair currently, but little data exist comparing their relative durability. We sought to investigate this issue with this meta-analysis. A literature search was performed (Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase and The Cochrane Library). The primary outcome was the incidence rate (IR) of reoperation, the secondary outcomes were recurrent moderately severe/severe mitral regurgitation (MR), in-hospital/30-day reoperation and mortality and follow-up mortality. A random-effect model was used. Leave-one-out, subgroup analysis (Alfieri versus neochordae) and meta-regression were done. Seventeen studies (including 1358 patients) were included. At a weighted mean follow-up of 5.56 ± 3.31 years, the IR for reoperation was 14.45 event per 1000 person-year and significantly lower in Alfieri than neochordae repair (9.40 vs 18.61, P = 0.04) on subgroup analysis. The IR of follow-up moderately severe/severe MR was 19.89 event per 1000 person-year and significantly lower in Alfieri than neochordae repair (10.68 and 28.63, P = 0.01). In a sensitivity analysis comparing homogenous studies, a significant difference in the recurrence of regurgitation in favour of the Alfieri approach remained. There were no differences in operative outcomes or survival. There were significant associations between increased incidence of late reoperation and New York Heart Association class III/IV and associated coronary artery bypass graft procedure for whole cohort. Alfieri repair may be associated with a lower incidence of recurrent MR compared with neochordae-based repair in the setting of isolated degenerative anterior mitral pathology. This is the first such meta-analysis and further inquiry into this area is needed.

Metabolic signatures in pericardial fluid and serum are associated with new-onset atrial fibrillation after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. However, the molecular mechanism of POAF remains poorly understood, hence the absence of effective prevention strategies. Here we used targeted metabolomics on pericardial fluid and serum samples from CABG patients to investigate POAF-associated metabolic alterations and related risk prediction of new-onset AF. Nine differential metabolites in various metabolic pathways were found in both pericardial fluid and serum samples from patients with POAF and without POAF. By using machine learning algorithms and regression models, a 4-metabolite (aceglutamide, ornithine, methionine, and arginine) risk prediction model was constructed and showed accurate performance in predicting POAF in both discovery and validation sets. This work extends the metabolic insights of the cardiac microenvironment and blood in patients with POAF and paves the way for the use of targeted metabolomics for predicting POAF in patients with CABG surgery.

Adult cardiac surgery report 2021: The annual report from the Registry of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases

Based on alongtime voluntary registry founded by the Ministry of Healthcare of the Slovak Republic in 2012 and endorsed by the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, well-defined data of all adult cardiac surgery procedures performed during the year 2021 are analyzed. For this period, data on 947 procedures were submitted to the registry. The unadjusted in-hospital survival rate for the 352 isolated coronary artery bypass grafting procedures including urgent and emergency procedures (relationship on-/off pump 3.8 : 1) was 96.3 %. For 331 isolated heart valve procedures (33 transcatheter interventions), it was 95.5 %. Concerning ventricular assist devices, 19 implantations were registered. In 2021 the number of isolated heart transplantations was 16, which is adecrease by 38.5 % as compared to the previous year. These annually registered data are collected from voluntary public reporting and accumulate actual information on nearly all heart procedures carried out in the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases. These data capture advancements in heart medicine and represent thebasis for quality management. In addition, the registry demonstrates that the provision of cardiac surgery in Slovakia is up to date, appropriate, and nationwide patient treatment is guaranteed all the time (Tab. 14, Fig. 2, Ref. 5). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: heart valve surgery, outcomes, coronary artery bypass grafting, aortic surgery, heart transplantation.

The effect of coronary artery bypass grafting procedure on audiovestibular system

The effect of coronary artery bypass grafting procedure on audiovestibular system

Assessment of regional wall motion abnormality using transesophageal echocardiography in patient undergoing off pump coronary artery bypass grafting – An observational study

Context: Transesophageal echocardiography (TOE) has been widely used intraoperatively in cardiovascular surgeries. Its influence on perioperative decision-making in both surgical and pharmacological planning has been well recognized. A study was undertaken to establish the fact that the routine use of TOE not only reduces the complications of Coronary artery bypass grafting procedures, but also helps in better surgical decision-making. Aims: To compare the regional wall motion abnormality (RWMA) using TOE at pre and postgrafting Off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) procedure. Settings and Design: The study design involves institutional setting and observational study. Subjects and Methods: Seventy-two adult patients undergoing elective OPCAB procedures were included between January 2019 and June 2020. RWMA and ejection fraction (EF) were assessed before grafting and postgrafting using intraoperative TOE (IOTOE) to quantify the improvement of wall motion, if no improvement then the need for graft revision or additional grafting was suggested. Statistical Analysis Used: Quantitative outcomes were compared using paired t-tests. SPSS 20.0 was used to analyze the data collected. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Sixty-five (90%) patients had RWMA and EF improvement after the grafting and 3 (4%) patients had improvement after graft revision as suggested by IOTOE. So, 68 (94%) patients out of 72 had good surgical outcomes. The comparison between pre and postgrafting EF showed a statistically significant difference i.e., P < 0.05. Conclusions: IOTOE can be used routinely as a definitive mandatory monitoring tool to help in appropriate intra-operative surgical decision-making in patients undergoing OPCAB to enable better surgical outcomes and thereby reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with the procedure.

Is advanced age a barrier to coronary bypass surgery? Our results of coronary bypass surgery in octogenarian patients

Aim: The population of octogenarians requiring coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures has been growing rapidly. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of CABG in patients aged 80 and over. Material and Methods: Included in the study were all consecutive patients undergoing CABG between 2002 and 2022. A total of 4650 patients were present; 70 of them were octogenarians. From patient medical records age, gender, use of an intra-aortic balloon pump, left ventricular ejection fraction, left main disease, use of CPB, number of distal coronary grafts, and comorbid conditions like diabetes, hypertension, preoperative renal failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), prior myocardial infarction (MI), and postoperative bleeding necessitating repeat, postoperative ICU length of stay, 30-day mortality and morbidity information were gathered. Results: Patients had an average age of 81.47 years, with 71.43% being male. Octogenarians commonly presented with unstable angina (35.71%) and previous myocardial infarction (61.43%), while 10 had left main coronary lesions. Cardiac pathologies included aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valve issues in 5 cases, post-MI VSD in 3, and left ventricular aneurysms in 4. Postoperatively, 21 patients needed inotropes, 4 required an intra-aortic balloon pump, and the average intensive care unit stay was 2.5 days. Mortality was 1.42% in elective CABG. Conclusion: Although the operative risk is relatively high in octogenarian patients, isolated CABG can be performed with acceptable mortality rates in selected elective patients who do not require concomitant cardiac surgery.

Annual Report for 2019 by the Japanese Association for Coronary Artery Surgery.

Continuous annual reporting on coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgical practice is key for quality control and improvement of clinical results. In this report, Japanese nationwide features and trends in the extent of coronary artery disease and the characteristics of those undergoing CABG procedures in 2019 are presented. Clinical results of related ischemic heart disease are also presented. The Japanese Cardiovascular Surgery Database (JCVSD) is a nationwide surgical case registry system. Data regarding CABG cases in the year 2019 (1 January-31 December) were captured with questionnaires regularly administered by the Japanese Association for Coronary Artery Surgery (JACAS). We analyzed trends in the number and types of grafts selected according to the number of diseased vessels in patients undergoing CABG. We also analyzed descriptive clinical results of those undergoing surgery for acute myocardial infarction or ischemic mitral regurgitation. This is the second publication summarizing the results following the JACAS annual report based on JCVSD Registry data from the year 2019. Clinical outcomes and surgical strategy trends were relatively stable. Further accumulation of information with a similar data collection system is expected.

Doppler Ultrasound Selection and Follow-Up of the Internal Mammary Artery as Coronary Graft.

The impact of coronary artery disease (CAD) on all-cause mortality and overall disabilities is well-established. Percutaneous and/or surgical coronary revascularization procedures dramatically reduced the occurrence of adverse cardiovascular events in patients suffering from atherosclerosis. Specifically, guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology on the management of myocardial revascularization promoted coronary artery by-pass graft (CABG) intervention in patients with specific alterations in the coronary tree due to the higher beneficial effects of this procedure as compared to the percutaneous one. The left internal mammary artery (LIMA) is one of the best-performing vessels in CABG procedures due to its location and its own structural characteristics. Nevertheless, the non-invasive assessment of its patency is challenging. Doppler ultrasonography (DU) might perform as a reliable technique for the non-invasive evaluation of the patency of LIMA. Data from the literature revealed that DU may detect severe (&gt;70%) stenosis of the LIMA graft. In this case, pulsed-wave Doppler might show peak diastolic velocity/peak systolic velocity &lt; 0.5 and diastolic fraction &lt; 50%. A stress test might also be adopted for the evaluation of patency of LIMA through DU. The aim of this narrative review is to evaluate the impact of DU on the evaluation of the patency of LIMA graft in patients who undergo follow-up after CABG intervention.