Coronary Artery Surgery Patients Research Articles

Early-Staged Carotid Artery Stenting Prior to Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Analysis of the Early and Mid-Term Results in Comparison with a Consecutive Cohort of Isolated Coronary Artery Surgery Patients.

The aim of the present study was to analyze retrospectively the results of patients who underwent early-staged, i.e., within 24-48 h, carotid artery stenting (e-s CAS) before coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Between December 2014 and December 2022, 1046 consecutive patients underwent CABG; 31 of these patients (3%) were subjected to e-s CAS prior to CABG (e-s CAS + CABG group). Preoperative and intraoperative variables and early and mid-term results of the e-s CAS + CABG group were compared with those of patients who underwent isolated CABG (CABG group). As compared with the CABG group, the e-s CAS + CABG group showed a worse clinical risk profile due to higher Euroscore-2 values and incidence of obstructive pulmonary disease and bilateral carotid artery and peripheral artery diseases (p < 0.05, for all comparisons). The combined end point of operative mortality, periprocedural myocardial infarction, and stroke was 3.2% (0%/0%/3.2%) in the e-s CAS + CABG group vs. 5.9% (2.2%/2.8%/0.9%) in the CABG group (p > 0.5, for all measurements). At 5 years, actuarial survival was 74% ± 16% in the e-s CAS + CABG group vs. 93% ± 4.0% in the CABG group, freedom from cardiac death was 100% vs. 98% ± 1.0% (p = 0.6), and freedom from MACCEs was 85% ± 15% vs. 97% ± 2.5% (p > 0.1, for all comparisons). Independent predictors of all-causes death were advanced age at the operation (p < 0.0001), a lower value for left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.05), and a high Euroscore-2 (p = 0.04). CABG preceded by e-s CAS appears to be associated with satisfactory early outcomes while limiting the risk of myocardial infarction to a very short time interval between the two procedures. Freedom from late all-causes death, cardiac death, and MACCEs were comparable and equally satisfactory, underscoring the positive protective effects of CAS and CABG on the carotid and coronary territories over time.

On Pump Beating Heart Coronary Artery Surgery in Patients Requiring Urgent Revascularization.

When acute coronary syndrome patients necessitate immediate revascularization, heart-on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting may be regarded as a viable substitute for conventional on-pump surgery. Our clinical experience and initial outcomes of heart-on-pump coronary surgery in patients with acute coronary syndrome are detailed in this article. This research endeavor was a retrospective analysis that spanned the years March 2011 to August 2023. The sample size comprised 2816 patients who had undergone coronary artery surgery. During this period, the same surgical team performed coronary artery bypass surgery on 411 of these patients, who underwent beating heart surgery while on cardiopulmonary bypass support and without cardioplegic arrest; this was done under emergency conditions. 9.3 ± 2.2 hours elapsed between the initiation of acute myocardial infarction and the commencement of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). A mean of 4.0 grafts was applied (2.2 ± 1.1). Mortality in hospitals was calculated for sixteen patients. Following surgery, twenty-six patients developed an inadequate cardiac output syndrome. Despite having renal dysfunction, none of the eight individuals needed hemodialysis. The mean duration of stay in intensive care was 3.2 (2.2 ± 1.1) days, while the mean length of hospitalization was 9.2 (4.3 ± 2.4) days. We believe that for high-risk patients with multivascular coronary artery disease who require an emergency coronary artery bypass graft, on-pump beating heart revascularization could be a viable option.

Preoperative status and in-hospital complications of coronary artery surgery in patients with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract Aim To assess the preoperative status and the rate of in-hospital complications of coronary artery surgery (CABG) in patients with pre-diabetes compared to patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) and normoglycemia. Materials and methods 708 consecutive patients who underwent CABG between 2011 to 2012 were included in the study. All patients without positive history of diabetes underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The lab findings were interpreted in accordance with the recommended diagnostic criteria for diabetes and other glycemic disorders. Results DM screening before coronary artery bypass grafting allowed to diagnose type 2 diabetes in 8.9% (n=63) and prediabetes in 10.4% (n=74) of the study population. The preoperative screening increased the number of patients with DM from 15.2% (n=108) to 24.1% (n=171), and with prediabetes from 3.0% (n=21) to 13.4% (n=95). The total number of patients with carbohydrate metabolism disorders increased from 18.2% (n=129) to 37.5% (n=266). All patients were enrolled into 3 groups based on their glycemic status: Group 1 - without carbohydrate metabolism disorders (n=442), Group 2 - pre-diabetes (n=95), Group 3 - type 2 DM (n=171). The analysis of in-hospital complications reported that patients with pre-diabetes more often underwent urgent peripheral artery bypass compared to the other two groups (p1–2=0.002 vs. p1–3=0.023). The highest rate of wound complications was found in patients with pre-diabetes (p1–2=0.012). In addition, a clear trend towards the rate of other in-hospital complications of CABG in the groups with pre-diabetes and diabetes was found. The regression analysis shows that type 2 DM was associated with the total number of significant complications (odds ratio (OR) 1.731, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.131–2.626, p=0.012), prolonged in-hospital stay (OR 2.2229, 95% CI 1.412- 3.519, p&amp;lt;0.001), the risk of urgent peripheral artery bypass (OR 1.638, 95% CI 1.009–15.213, p=0.020), multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (OR 2.911, 95% CI 1.072–7.901, p=0.039) and the need for hemostasis correction using the extracorporeal methods (OR 3.472, 95% CI 1.042–11.556, p=0.044). All the associations described above remained significant when pre-diabetes was introduced into the regression model and any carbohydrate metabolism disorder was considered as a potential predictor of in-hospital complications. Additionally, an association between pre-diabetes and diabetes and the risk of acute renal damage (OR 1.700, 95% CI 1.067–2.612, p=0.024) and wound complications (OR 1.547, 95% CI 1.073–2.231, p=0.019) was observed. Conclusion Pre-diabetes affects the in-hospital outcomes after CABG as well as diabetes mellitus. Our findings emphasizes the relevance of active preoperative detection of carbohydrate metabolism disorders. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Mechanical circulatory support in the context of coronary artery bypass grafting.

With the continuous innovation in mechanical circulatory support as an option for the management of patients in cardiogenic shock from myocardial infarction, it is important to understand the current evidence and recommendations for the use of these devices for patients who require or underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. The use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in patients with cardiogenic shock who require or underwent coronary artery bypass surgery has not been well studied. Observational studies have shown that the use of intra-aortic balloon pump or percutaneous ventricular assist devices prior to revascularization lead to better survival. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) still carries significant risk of mortality and complications; the use of additional MCS devices for left ventricular unloading during ECMO improves outcomes. MCS will continue to play an important role in coronary artery surgery patients. Multidisciplinary Cardiac Shock Team can assist in proper patient selection and device choice, whereas prospective clinical trials are required to provide evidence-based guidance towards the management of these patients.

Antiplatelet therapy at the time of coronary artery surgery: can a personalized approach improve outcomes?

We read with great interest the recently published multicentre cohort study by Kremke et al. [1]. Patients exposed to antiplatelet therapy (APT) at the time of coronary artery surgery (CAS) had greater postoperative bleeding volumes and greater transfusion requirements [1]. Exposure to clopidogrel, but not aspirin, was associated with greater reoperation rates and was an independent risk factor for severe postoperative bleeding, although mean bleeding volumes were not significantly different in the aspirin and clopidogrel subgroups [1]. Despite current guidelines, it is apparent that many patients are proceeding with CAS without the 5-day delay off clopidogrel. The efficacy of platelet inhibition with clopidogrel varies widely among patients, from intensive platelet inhibition to poor platelet response [2], and these variations could, to some degree, explain the non-significant differences in mean bleeding volumes in the aspirin and clopidogrel subgroups [1]. The effect of clopidogrel on bleeding mainly depends on two factors: (i) observed platelet inhibition, which depends on inherent platelet activity prior to clopidogrel administration and platelet inhibitory response to clopidogrel and (ii) newborn platelets ability to restore normal aggregation after clopidogrel discontinuation. Therefore, the use of suitable point-of-care platelet function analysers seems to be reasonable in this field. Recently, we found aspirin(P = 0.014) and clopidogrel(P = 0.003) sensitive platelet function tests to be predictive of excessive postoperative bleeding in patients following CAS [2]. Of note, 76.3% patients were transfused with no significant differences among the groups with regard to the preoperative APT administration regime (P = 0.636) [2]. However, transfused patients had significantly lower values of aspirin-sensitive platelet function tests (P = 0.002) [2]. In our opinion, the study cohort is somehow heterogeneous. Eligible procedures were either isolated CAS or CAS combined with aortic valve replacement (AVR) [1]. AVR certainly extends the duration of cardiopulmonary bypass, which was recently described as a predictor of transfusion requirements [3]. After matching, authors reported a slightly greater use of antifibrinolytic drugs in the APT group [1]. Both on-pump and off-pump procedures were included [1]. Authors reported that off-pump surgery and perioperative use of tranexamic acid were associated with a lower risk of severe postoperative bleeding [1]. The use of antifibrinolytic drugs should be equally balanced since there is evidence that antifibrinolytic therapy reduces bleeding and transfusion outcomes [4]. It would be interesting to see if exclusion of CAS + AVR and off-pump CAS patients would bring different results. During the study period, thromboelastometry-guided blood component therapy became available at two of three participating centres [1]. At the same time, multivariate analysis revealed that surgery at one of the participating centres was one of independent risk factors for severe postoperative bleeding [1]. Spiess et al. [5] reported thromboelastography-guided haemostatic management to have significantly reduced the incidence of overall transfusion and mediastinal re-exploration due to excessive bleeding. Thus, perhaps one could assume that one centre, which was found to be independent risk factor for severe postoperative bleeding, was in fact the one without thromboelastometry guided transfusion therapy available. The largest extent of chest tube output together with the greatest transfusion rates, was observed in the subgroup of patients exposed to dual APT [1]. Those results are in line with the results recently published by Miceli et al. [6]. Further incremental platelet inhibition may be observed in the group of patients receiving dual APT. Therefore, the role of aspirin and clopidogrel administration management should be separately assessed by drug-specific platelet function tests, thus facilitating an individual therapeutic approach for discontinuation management of each antiplatelet agent preoperatively.

Central venous saturation is not an alternative to mixed venous saturation during cardiopulmonary bypass in coronary artery surgery patients

To evaluate the correlation and agreement between central venous saturation (ScvO(2)) and mixed venous saturation (SvO(2)) during cardiopulmonary bypass. Twenty-two consecutive patients scheduled for coronary artery surgery were prospectively included. Paired measurements of ScvO(2) and SvO(2) were performed 5 minutes after aortic cross-clamping, after each cardioplegia dose and after de-clamping of the aortic cross-clamp. ScvO(2) and SvO(2) were measured, respectively, by a fibreoptic catheter in the superior vena cava and on blood samples from the venous return line of the extracorporeal circuit, using a blood gas analyser Ninety-five paired measurements of venous saturation were obtained. Correlation between the measurements was associated with an r = 0.55. The mean bias was 2.2 [Limits of agreement: -13.6%, +18%]. Changes in oxygen saturation over time showed an r = 0.4 and a mean bias of 0.2 [Limits of agreement: -17.9%, +18.3%]. Multivariate analysis identified the oxygen consumption index as the only factor explaining this variability. Although mean biases between the measurements were low, limits of agreement were too large to provide a clinically acceptable estimation of SvO(2) by ScvO(2) in these conditions. Variations in regional oxygen consumption seem to be the main factor worsening the relationship.

Patent Foramen Ovale: A Potential Cause of Refractory Hypoxemia in Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Patent Foramen Ovale: A Potential Cause of Refractory Hypoxemia in Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Is it the patient or the physician who cannot tolerate anemia? A prospective analysis in 1854 non-transfused coronary artery surgery patients

Low hematocrit level and transfusion may coexist during cardiopulmonary bypass and the actual impact of one on the outcome parameters may be counfounded or masked by the other. This study aims to determine the impact of the lowest hematocrit level during cardiopulmonary bypass on outcome parameters in non-transfused patients. Two thousand six hundred and thirty-two consecutive patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass were evaluated prospectively:1854 (70.4%) patients who did not receive any red blood cells during hospital stay were included in the study. Perioperative data and outcome parameters were recorded. Outcomes were evaluated in 2 groups according to the lowest level of hematocrit (>21%: high hematocrit group, n = 1680, (91.6%) and < or = 21%: low hematocrit group, n = 174, (9.4%)) during cardiopulmonary bypass. Overall mean lowest hematocrit level of patients was 27.7 + or - 4.4% (19.7 + or - 1.9% in the low hematocrit group, 28.5 + or - 4.1% in the high hematocrit group). The comparison of outcome parameters regarding the time on ventilator, duration of intensive care unit stay, intensive care unit re-admission, hospital re-admission, reoperation for bleeding or tamponade, low cardiac output, postoperative atrial fibrillation, stroke, creatinine level at hospital discharge, new onset renal failure, mediastinitis, pulmonary complication and mortality rates were similar in both groups. Our findings suggest that a lowest hematocrit level of < or = 21% during cardiopulmonary bypass has no adverse impact on outcome after isolated coronary surgery in non-transfused patients.

Abstract 2278: Long Term Clinical Follow-up and Graft Patency of Off-pump vs On-pump Coronary Artery Surgery in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting is better than on-pump in patients with STEMI underwent surgery within 2 days from onset of symptoms. Surgeons may be reluctant to use OPCAB due to concerns about completeness of myocardial revascularization and graft patency. The aim of this study was to assess long-term clinical outcomes and graft patency in this kind of patients. Participants in two previous randomized studies performed in our institution including 207 STEMI patients underwent emergent or urgent CABG within 48 hours from onset of symptoms were followed after surgery to assess graft patency and major adverse cardiac-related events (MACE). There were 145 patients operated in on-pump and 62 patients in off-pump. Patency was assessed by multidetector computed tomography coronary angiography (MDCTA) with a 64-slice scanner. Two blinded observers classified proximal, body and distal segments of each graft as occluded or not, or grade of stenosis. Clinical follow-up was obtained by our cardiologists. Overall early mortality was 5.3% (11 pts). Percentage of early mortality were 6.7% and 1.6% in on- and off-pump group respectively (p&lt;0.05). Follow-up was obtained in all 196 survivors and was 100% complete. Overall late deaths occurred in 14 patients (7%) without statistical significant difference between both groups; of the remaining 182, 168 (92.3 %) had MDCTA scans (108 pts in on-pump vs 60 pts in off-pump). Patency was studied in 335 grafts in on-pump and 156 grafts in off-pump. Mean duration of follow-up were 38±16 months and 37±14 months for on- and off-pump, respectively. Overall, 449/491 (91.5%) of grafts were patent. Percentages of overall grafts classified as patent were similar in on-pump and off-pump groups (307/335, 91.6% and 142/156, 91% respectively) and for arterial and vein grafts separately. There were also no differences between groups in the incidence of late death and MACE. Long term graft patency and MACE are similar with on-pump vs off-pump CABG in high risk STEMI patients when operation was performed by experienced surgeons. Supported by this results and by low early mortality in off-pump group, we suggests strictly the use of off-pump CABG in this type of patients.

Moderate Acute Isovolemic Hemodilution Alters Myocardial Function in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Although moderate hemodilution is usually well tolerated in coronary artery surgery patients, this may not be the case when myocardial oxygen demand is increased. We hypothesized that, in these patients, hemodilution in the presence of an increased heart rate could be associated with an impairment of myocardial function. Forty coronary surgery patients were randomly assigned to two groups (n=20), according to the rate of atrioventricular pacing [70 bpm (Group 70) or 90 bpm (Group 90)]. While paced at the fixed heart rate, hemodilution was performed before the start of cardiopulmonary bypass. Data were obtained from a pulmonary artery, a PiCCO catheter and a left ventricular pressure catheter. Measurements were obtained in steady-state conditions before and after isovolemic hemodilution. Hemodilution from 40%+/-2% to 30%+/-1% in Group 70, and from 39%+/-4% to 30%+/-2% in Group 90 resulted in a decrease in systemic vascular resistance and an increase in end-diastolic volume in both groups. This was associated with an increase in stroke volume in Group 70 but not in Group 90. In this latter group, the maximal rate of pressure development decreased significantly after hemodilution [from 856+/-93 to 716+/-80 mm Hg/s (P<0.01)], whereas it remained unchanged in Group 70 (843+/-86 mm Hg/s before and 832+/-79 mm Hg/s after hemodilution). In the conditions of the present study, increased heart rate during moderate hemodilution was associated with a depression of myocardial function.

Antithrombotic Challenges after Coronary Artery Surgery in Patients with Polycytemia Vera

Journal of Cardiac SurgeryVolume 23, Issue 4 p. 410-410 Antithrombotic Challenges after Coronary Artery Surgery in Patients with Polycytemia Vera A. Ugur Ural M.D., A. Ugur Ural M.D. Department of Hematology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, TurkeySearch for more papers by this authorTurker Cetin M.D., Turker Cetin M.D. Department of Hematology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, TurkeySearch for more papers by this authorFerit Avcu M.D., Ferit Avcu M.D. Department of Hematology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, TurkeySearch for more papers by this author A. Ugur Ural M.D., A. Ugur Ural M.D. Department of Hematology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, TurkeySearch for more papers by this authorTurker Cetin M.D., Turker Cetin M.D. Department of Hematology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, TurkeySearch for more papers by this authorFerit Avcu M.D., Ferit Avcu M.D. Department of Hematology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, TurkeySearch for more papers by this author First published: 28 June 2008 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-8191.2008.00605.xCitations: 2 Address for correspondence: A. Ugur Ural, M.D., Professor of Hematology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Department of Hematology, 06010 Etlik, Ankara, Turkey. Fax: +90-312-3044150; e-mail: aural@gata.edu.tr Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume23, Issue4July/August 2008Pages 410-410 RelatedInformation

Is There Really a Clinical Benefit of Using Minimized Extracorporeal Circulation for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting?

Minimized extracorporeal circulation is intended to reduce the negative effects associated with cardiopulmonary bypass. This prospective study was performed to evaluate whether minimized extracorporeal circulation has a clinical benefit for coronary artery surgery patients compared to standard extracorporeal circulation. Sixty patients were randomized into two study groups: 30 patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting using minimized extracorporeal circulation and 30 patients were operated using standard extracorporeal circulation. Baseline characteristics, intraoperative details, postoperative data, perioperative blood chemistry determinations of hematocrit, platelets, muscle-brain fraction of the creatine kinase, cardiac troponin T and colloid osmotic pressure as measurements of intrathoracic blood volume index and extravascular lung water index were compared. Baseline characteristics and intraoperative details of both groups were similar. Patients who underwent minimized extracorporeal circulation showed more short-term dependency on norepinephrine ( P < 0.01). Their maximal postoperative muscle-brain fraction of the creatine kinase was lower ( P < 0.05) and their hematocrit on arrival in the intensive care unit was higher ( P < 0.01). No other significant differences were found. In both collectives, values for hematocrit ( P < 0.001), platelets ( P < 0.001), colloid osmotic pressure ( P < 0.001) and intrathoracic blood volume index ( P < 0.05) decreased, while the extravascular lung water index did not change significantly during cardiopulmonary bypass. A clinical advantage of minimized over standard extracorporeal circulation was not found. Furthermore, a higher number of patients in the minimized extracorporeal circulation group required postoperative norepinephrine infusions for hemodynamic stabilization. In summary, the presumed superiority of minimized extracorporeal circulation for coronary artery bypass grafting in standard patients could not be confirmed.

Segmentation-based algorithms to quantify nonviable myocardium after delayed contrast-enhanced computed tomography: defining what’s dead

The ability to distinguish dysfunctional but viable myocardium from nonviable tissue after acute or chronic ischemia has important implications for the therapeutic management of patients with coronary artery disease. In the acute phase, myocardial revascularization in patients with viable myocardium can improve ventricular dysfunction 1 Alderman E.L. Fisher L.D. Litwin P. Kaiser G.C. Myers W.O. Maynard C. Levine F. Schloss M. Results of coronary artery surgery in patients with poor left ventricular function (CASS). Circulation. 1983; 68: 785-795 Crossref PubMed Scopus (698) Google Scholar and long-term survival, 2 Pagley P.R. Beller G.A. Watson D.D. Gimple L.W. Ragosta M. Improved outcome after coronary bypass surgery in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and residual myocardial viability. Circulation. 1997; 96: 793-800 Crossref PubMed Scopus (358) Google Scholar whereas image-based characterization of myocardial scar structure in the setting of chronic ischemia can identify those patients with hibernating myocardium who may achieve functional systolic recovery with revascularization. 3 Wakimoto H. Maguire C.T. Kovoor P. Hammer P.E. Gehrmann J. Triedman J.K. Berul C.I. Induction of atrial tachycardia and fibrillation in the mouse heart. Cardiovasc Res. 2001; 50: 463-473 Crossref PubMed Scopus (78) Google Scholar The assessment of both acute and chronic myocardial viability using delayed enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (de-MRI) is considered the standard for myocardial viability assessment. As the clinical indications for implantable cardiac defibrillators and biventricular pacing therapy continue to expand, however, development and validation of alternative imaging methods with similar anatomic, functional, and viability imaging capabilities are needed to accommodate this growing population of patients.

Pulmonary function and inflammatory markers in patients undergoing coronary revascularisation with or without cardiopulmonary bypass

Lung injury after cardiac surgery is believed to result from cardiopulmonary bypass and its pro-inflammatory effects. To test this hypothesis, we compared the oxygenation ratios, extravascular lung water indices and systemic and pulmonary tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin (IL)-8 at predetermined intervals in coronary artery surgery patients with or without cardiopulmonary bypass. No differences in oxygenation ratios or extravascular lung water indices were found. Serum values of TNF-alpha and IL-8 increased in both groups but were higher in the cardiopulmonary bypass group (end of surgery: mean (SD) TNF-alpha 3.68 (2.5) vs 2.20 (1.2) pg.ml(-1) (p = 0.043 (CI 0.05-2.9)) and mean (SD) IL-8 19.45 (10.8) vs 6.31 (5.3) pg.ml(-1) (p = 0.001 (CI 6.9-19.3)). In broncho-alveolar lavage fluid, TNF-alpha and IL-8 increased in both groups with no differences between the groups.

A study assessing the potential benefit of continued ventilation during cardiopulmonary bypass

It has been suggested that maintaining ventilation during bypass might reduce lung injury, which is a common complication of cardiac surgery. In order to assess this, a study is being undertaken to examine the effect upon a number of parameters that may be indicative of lung injury, of continued ventilation compared with discontinued ventilation whilst on bypass. The following parameters have been assessed: extravascular lung water, static and dynamic compliance, ratio of left atrial/right atrial white blood count, alveolar arterial oxygen gradient and the respiratory index together with clinical end points. Provisional results are reported. Twenty-three elective patients for coronary artery surgery have to date been randomised to either ventilation (VB) (n=12) or non-ventilation on bypass (NVB) (n=11). The post-bypass extravascular lung water was significantly smaller in the VB group compared to the NVB group (530+/-50 ml vs. 672+/-32 ml; P=0.028). Extubation time was also significantly shorter in the VB group (3.6+/-0.3 h vs. 4.8+/-0.4 h; P=0.038). The provisional results of this work in progress are suggestive that continued ventilation during bypass may reduce lung injury.

Anticoagulation After Coronary Artery Surgery in Patients With Polycythemia Vera: Report of Two Cases

Polycythemia vera is a myeloproliferative disorder associated with the thromboembolic events. Normalization of the hematocrit and elevated platelet counts is obligatory to reduce the thrombotic risk of patients with PV. Therapeutic strategies include phlebotomy, myelosuppressive agents, and, more recently, interferon-alpha. In addition, appropriate antiplatelet therapy should be administered to prevent life-threatening complications and reducing the viscosity of the blood. Although aspirin is widely preferred in such patients, this monodrug therapy or combined with clopidogrel as an alternative approach might not be enough, especially after coronary artery surgery. Therefore, warfarin should be added to anticoagulant therapy. This short report describes the use of warfarin, associated with aspirin and clopidogrel as an anticoagulant regimen after coronary artery bypass surgery in two cases with polycythemia vera. We believe that a combination of warfarin with other oral antiplatelet agents may be more effective in preventing the coronary artery bypass graft thrombosis.

Safety and efficacy concerns regarding elective coronary artery surgery in patients with prior coronary stents

Recent data have raised concerns about the safety of drug-eluting stents.1 Stents are used in over 70% of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) because they reduce the risk of acute major complications of PCI and long-term restenosis. Despite the low procedural morbidity afforded by stenting, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery offers significantly greater freedom from angina, repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction, stroke, and death in the treatment of multivessel ischaemic heart disease.2 Stenting has, however, become first line treatment in increasing numbers of patients that are surgical candidates. Many of these patients eventually require coronary artery surgery: …

Impact of antioxidative treatment on nuclear factor kappa-B regulation during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion

Nuclear factor kappa-B (NFkappaB), a transcription factor, plays a role in numerous pathological states such as myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R), apoptosis, and ischemic preconditioning. As both myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (by reactive oxygen intermediates) can activate NFkappaB, we investigated the impact of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on NFkappaB-regulation in patients subjected to cardioplegic arrest (CA) on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Seventeen coronary artery surgery patients (66+/-9[S.D.] years) subjected to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and cardioplegic arrest were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive either NAC (100 mg/kg into CPB prime followed by infusion at 20 mg/kg/h; n=9) or placebo (n=8). Transmural LV biopsies were collected prior to CPB (baseline) and at CPB-end and immuno-cytochemically stained against active NFkappaB and phosphorylated IkappaB alpha (activates NFkappaB). At the end of CPB both NFkappaB and IkappaB alpha were unchanged in endothelial cells of controls compared to baseline (45.6+/-7.6 vs. 49.9+/-7.1 and 36.8+/-6.1 vs. 47.5+/-8.6 counts per viewfield (cpv), P>0.05, respectively). In NAC, NFkappaB and IkappaB alpha in endothelial cells were significantly decreased at CPB-end (19.8+/-1.7 vs. 39.1+/-4.1 cpv, P<0.001, and 22.1+/-1.9 vs. 38.3+/-4.4 cpv, P=0.006). In cardiomyocytes, however, there were no changes observed in either group. Antioxidative treatment with NAC decreases NFkappaB-activity following I/R in endothelial cells. We conclude that NFkappaB-activity post I/R is mediated by free radicals rather than ischemia alone.

Perioperative hyperglycemia following on-pump and off-pump coronary artery surgery in patients with diabetes

Knapik, P.; Urbañska, E.; Kucewicz, E.; Golda, A.; Oliwa, M.; Krawczuk, A.; Pacholewicz, J. Author Information

Reduced Cytokines Release and Myocardial Damage in Coronary Artery Bypass Patients Due to L-Arginine Cardioplegia Supplementation

Recently, L-arginine has been added to cardioplegia to limit myocardial ischemic damage. The mechanism of action is related to the production of nitric oxide, with vasodilatation and reduction of endothelial dysfunction. Our prospective randomized study on coronary artery bypass patients investigates the effect of L-arginine on myocardial stress as expressed by myocardial cytokines release and myocardial ischemia in terms of troponin T concentration. Coronary artery surgery patients were randomly assigned to receive 7.5 g L-arginine in 500 mL of cardioplegic solution (group A). Group B was used as control. Cold blood 4:1 anterograde and retrograde cardioplegia with warm induction was administered. Blood samples were collected from the retrograde coronary sinus catheter to determine interleukin-2 receptor, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor levels. Serum samples at different time points were also analyzed to measure myocardial ischemia markers. Hemodynamic and echocardiographic evaluations were obtained perioperatively. Sixty-five patients were enrolled (group A, treated with L-arginine, n = 33; group B, control, n = 32). Wedge pressure and intensive care unit stay were significantly reduced in group A (p = 0.023 and p = 0.03, respectively). Cytokines levels were lower in group A, with a significance for interleukin-6 (p = 0.026); troponin T was reduced in treated patients (0.33 versus 0.57 ng/mL at 18 hours: p = 0.009). Coronary artery surgery patients benefit from L-arginine cardioplegia supplementation in terms of reduced inflammatory reaction, limitation of myocardial ischemia, and better hemodynamic performance. Moreover, a clinical advantage is evident in terms of a shorter intensive care unit stay in patients treated with L-arginine.