Impact of Age on the Results of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Peri-Operative Risk Factors Associated with Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction (POCD): An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses of Observational Studies

This umbrella review aimed to systematically identify the peri-operative risk factors associated with post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) using meta-analyses of observational studies. To date, no review has synthesised nor assessed the strength of the available evidence examining risk factors for POCD. Database searches from journal inception to December 2022 consisted of systematic reviews with meta-analyses that included observational studies examining pre-, intra- and post-operative risk factors for POCD. A total of 330 papers were initially screened. Eleven meta-analyses were included in this umbrella review, which consisted of 73 risk factors in a total population of 67,622 participants. Most pertained to pre-operative risk factors (74%) that were predominantly examined using prospective designs and in cardiac-related surgeries (71%). Overall, 31 of the 73 factors (42%) were associated with a higher risk of POCD. However, there was no convincing (class I) or highly suggestive (class II) evidence for associations between risk factors and POCD, and suggestive evidence (class III) was limited to two risk factors (pre-operative age and pre-operative diabetes). Given that the overall strength of the evidence is limited, further large-scale studies that examine risk factors across various surgery types are recommended.

Is it safe to perform total arterial grafting in elderly patients lacking vein grafts? A single surgeon comparison

OBJECTIVES

The results of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with total arterial revascularisation (TA-CABG) in elderly patients, who may have insufficient vein graft material for conventional CABG (CO-CABG), have not been fully established. We therefore sought to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of patients >70 years old undergoing CO-CABG and TA-CABG.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective observational study analyzing all consecutive adult patients aged >70 years undergoing first-time CABG over the 15-year period from 2004 to 2020 under a single surgeon. Primary outcomes of interest were in-hospital mortality, long-term mortality, and re-intervention rate. Secondary outcomes of interest included operative durations and the incidence of peri-operative complications.

RESULTS

There were 46 patients (age 76 ± 3 SD) in the TA-CABG group and 145 patients (age 76 ± 4 SD) in the CO-CABG group. Cardio-pulmonary bypass and cross-clamp durations were comparable between groups (p = .11 and p = .23, respectively). Stroke occurred in 1.0% undergoing CO-CABG compared to 0% in the TA-CABG group (p = .42). Hospital mortality was 3.0% with CO-CABG (EuroSCORE; mean [SD] 6.81 (5.81)) and 2.0% with TA-CABG (EuroSCORE; mean [SD] 6.38 (6.57)) (p = .93). On long-term follow-up, myocardial infarction occurred in 10.0% of CO-CABG patients compared to 4.0% of TA-CABG patients (p = .25). Re-intervention rates were 7% following CO-CABG, and 2% after TA-CABG (p = .23). There was no significant difference in long-term mortality between patients undergoing CO-CABG and TA-CABG (47% vs. 57%, p = .27). Long-term survival was comparable between grafting techniques (p = .27).

CONCLUSIONS

There were no significant differences in major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, re-intervention rate, hospital or long-term mortality between CO-CABG and TA-CABG. TA-CABG represents a safe and feasible alternative to CO-CABG in elderly patients offering good long-term outcomes.

Risk Factors for Delirium and Cognitive Decline Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is known to improve heart function and quality of life, while rates of surgery‐related mortality are low. However, delirium and cognitive decline are common complications. We sought to identify preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative risk or protective factors associated with delirium and cognitive decline (across time) in patients undergoing CABG.

Methods and Results

We conducted a systematic search of Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Cochrane (March 26, 2019) for peer‐reviewed, English publications reporting post‐CABG delirium or cognitive decline data, for at least one risk factor. Random‐effects meta‐analyses estimated pooled odds ratio for categorical data and mean difference or standardized mean difference for continuous data. Ninety‐seven studies, comprising data from 60 479 patients who underwent CABG, were included. Moderate to large and statistically significant risk factors for delirium were as follows: (1) preoperative cognitive impairment, depression, stroke history, and higher European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) score, (2) intraoperative increase in intubation time, and (3) postoperative presence of arrythmia and increased days in the intensive care unit; higher preoperative cognitive performance was protective for delirium. Moderate to large and statistically significant risk factors for acute cognitive decline were as follows: (1) preoperative depression and older age, (2) intraoperative increase in intubation time, and (3) postoperative presence of delirium and increased days in the intensive care unit. Presence of depression preoperatively was a moderate risk factor for midterm (1–6 months) post‐CABG cognitive decline.

Conclusions

This meta‐analysis identified several key risk factors for delirium and cognitive decline following CABG, most of which are nonmodifiable. Future research should target preoperative risk factors, such as depression or cognitive impairment, which are potentially modifiable.

Registration

URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prosp​ero/; Unique identifier: CRD42020149276.

Coronary Angiography and Revascularization Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in British Columbia: Incidence, Predictors and Longer-term Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is established treatment for subsets of coronary artery disease (CAD). Observational data have characterised significant progression of native coronary as well as graft vessel disease during longer-term follow-up, potentially reducing the benefit of CABG. We sought to assess longer-term outcomes following CABG by determining rates of repeat coronary angiography, revascularization procedures, and survival.

METHODS

Data for all patients undergoing isolated CABG in British Columbia between 2001 and 2009 inclusive, and with follow-up until the end of 2013, were retrieved from the British Columbia Cardiac Registry. Cox proportional hazard regression and competing risk regression were performed for survival and subsequent cardiac procedures (coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] or repeat CABG).

RESULTS

Data were available from 17,316 patients with a mean age at index CABG of 65.7 ± 9.8 years. At a median follow-up of 8.5 (range 4.0 to 12.9) years, 3185 patients (18.4%) had died, 3135 (18.1%) underwent repeat coronary angiography with or without PCI or repeat CABG, and 11,557 (66.7%) had survived without additional procedures. Of those who underwent angiography, 1459 patients (46.5%) underwent further revascularization. In multivariate analysis, the strongest predictors of long-term mortality were dialysis dependency and age >75, whereas left internal mammary artery utilization and aspirin therapy were protective. Repeat revascularization predicted survival (adjusted hazard ratio 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.63-0.92; P = 0.004), whereas angiography alone did not.

CONCLUSIONS

Following CABG, patients frequently undergo repeat coronary angiography. Although only a minority of patients receive further revascularization, this appears to be associated with longer-term survival.

On- or off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting for octogenarians: A meta-analysis of comparative studies involving 27,623 patients

OBJECTIVE

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is being increasingly offered to octogenarians. Both on- and off-pump CABG are reported as effective surgical revascularization strategies for octogenarians by single institution studies. However, the issue of superiority of one strategy over the other for octogenarians remains unresolved due to limited sample size of these studies. A meta-analysis of studies comparing outcomes of on- and off-pump CABG in octogenarians was undertaken to address the issue.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted from 1966 through September 2016 using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus and Web of Science to identify relevant articles. Primary outcomes of interest included in-hospital mortality and stroke. Secondary outcomes of interest were atrial fibrillation, acute renal failure, reoperation for bleeding, deep sternal wound infection, myocardial infarction, intensive therapy unit (ITU) stay and hospital stay. The random effects model was used to calculate the outcomes of both binary and continuous data to control any heterogeneity between the studies. Heterogeneity amongst the trials was determined by means of the Cochran Q value and quantified using the I² inconsistency test. All p-values were 2-sided and a 5% level was considered significant.

RESULTS

Sixteen retrospective studies (18,685 on-pump patients and 8938 off-pump patients) were included in the systematic review. In-hospital mortality (pooled OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.44 to 0.93; p = 0.02), stroke rate (pooled OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.48 to 0.76; p < 0.001) and length of hospital stay (pooled WMD = +0.29, 95% CI = +0.02 to +0.56; p = 0.04) were significantly lower in the off-pump patients. Atrial fibrillation (p = 0.36), acute renal failure (p = 0.47), reoperation for bleeding (p = 0.99), deep sternal wound infection (p = 0.59), myocardial infarction (p = 0.93), and length of ITU stay (p = 0.27) were comparable.

CONCLUSION

Off-pump compared to on-pump CABG offers surgical myocardial revascularization to octogenarians with lower in-hospital mortality, stroke rate and length of hospital stay with similar incidence of other adverse outcomes. Preferentially offering off-pump CABG to octogenarians could translate into reduced economic burden on the healthcare providers.

Risk factors for in-hospital mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting in patients 80 years old or older: a retrospective case-series study

BACKGROUND

Age remains a significant and unmodifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and an increasing number of patients older than 80 years of age undergo Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG). Old age is also an independent risk factor for postoperative complications. The aim of this study is to describe the population of patients 80 years of age or older who underwent CABG procedure and to assess the mortality rate and risk factors for in-hospital mortality.

METHODS

A retrospective case-series study analyzing 388 consecutive patients aged 80 years of age or older who underwent isolated CABG procedure between 2010 and 2014 in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Transplantology, John Paul II Hospital, Krakow.

RESULTS

In-hospital mortality stood at 7%, compared to 3.4% for all isolated CABG procedures at our Institution. In an univariate logistic regression analysis, risk factors for in-hospital mortality were as follows: NYHA class (p = 0.005, OR 1.95, 95% CI [1.23-3.1]), prolonged mechanical ventilation (p < 0.001, OR 7.08, 95% CI [2.47-20.3]), rethoracotomy (p = 0.04, OR 3.31, 95% CI [1.04-10.6]), duration of the procedure and ECC (for every 10 min p = 0.01, OR 1.01, 95% CI [1.0-1.01]; p = 0.03, OR 1.01, 95% CI [1.0-1.02], respectively), PRBC, FFP, and PLT transfusion (for every unit transfused p = 0.004, OR 1.42, 95% CI [1.12-1.8]; p = 0.002, OR 1.55, 95% CI [1.18-2.04]; p = 0.009, OR 1.93, 95% CI [1.18-3.14], respectively). Higher LVEF (p = 0.02, OR 0.97, 95% CI [0.94-0.99]) and LIMA graft implantation (p = 0.04, OR 0.36, 95% CI [0.13-0.98) decreased the in-hospital mortality. Death before discharge was more often observed in patients with multiple risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (0-2 -5.7%; 3-7.4%, 4-26.6%; p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Older age is associated with higher in-hospital mortality after isolated CABG at our Institution. Risk stratification scores and individualized risk evaluation, centered on comorbidities, NYHA class and left ventricular function, should be assessed in all cases. Whenever suitable, LIMA grafts should be used. Prolonged procedure and ECC time worsen the short-term outcome. Elderly individuals should be closely monitored postoperatively and the care should be focused on excessive blood loss and respiratory failure.

A 12-year follow-up on the changes in health-related quality of life after coronary artery bypass graft surgery

OBJECTIVES

Improvement in quality of life (QoL) and survival benefit are the primary objectives of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The profile of patients undergoing isolated CABG has altered towards higher age with more preoperative comorbidities. Thus, the importance of QoL over the quantity of life among elderly patients is getting more emphasized. In this study, our main goal was to evaluate the long-term changes in QoL, overall performance status and symptomatic status after the CABG.

METHODS

Comprehensive data of 508 patients who underwent isolated CABG in a single institution were prospectively collected. The RAND-36 Health Survey (RAND-36) was used as an indicator of QoL. Karnofsky dependency category was used to evaluate overall performance status, and symptomatic status was assessed using New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. All assessment were made preoperatively and repeated 1 year and 12 years later. The follow-up of the study cohort was complete in 95 and 84% of the alive patients at 1 year and 12 years, respectively. Analysis was based mainly on three age groups: ≤64 years (282 patients), 65-74 years (175 patients) and ≥75 years (51 patients).

RESULTS

Thirty-day, 1-year and 10-year survival rates were 98, 97 and 79%, respectively. Twelve years after the surgery significant improvement (P<0.05) was seen in all but one RAND-36 dimensions of the QoL (general health, P=0.76) as well as in functional capacity (P<0.001) and NYHA class. All age groups showed improvements in RAND-36 physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores compared with the preoperative values. The youngest subgroup maintained their physical and mental health status best, whereas older subgroups had more pronounced decreases in their PCS and MCS scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite an ongoing deterioration 12 years after the CABG, there was significant improvement in most dimensions of the QoL and functional capacity in comparison with the preoperative values. The elderly gain less long-term benefit from CABG regarding the QoL and survival.

Myocardial revascularization for the elderly: current options, role of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting and outcomes

The increase in life expectancy has confronted cardiac surgery with a rapidly growing population of elderly patients requiring surgical myocardial revascularization. Recent advances in surgical and anesthetic techniques and improvements in postoperative care have made coronary artery bypass grafting an established therapeutic option for the treatment of coronary artery disease in this group of patients. However, conventional coronary artery bypass grafting on cardiopulmonary bypass is associated with significant risk and related morbidity and mortality in the elderly. In recent years off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting has emerged as a safe and less invasive strategy for surgical myocardial revascularization. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting by avoiding the deleterious effects of cardiopulmonary bypass can offer potential benefits to elderly patients requiring surgical myocardial revascularization. This review article provides an overview of the age-related cardiovascular changes, epidemiology of coronary artery disease in the elderly and focuses on outcomes of surgical myocardial revascularization with special emphasis on the impact of off-pump coro-nary artery bypass surgery in the elderly.

Incentive spirometry for preventing pulmonary complications after coronary artery bypass graft

BACKGROUND

Incentive spirometry (IS) is a treatment technique that uses a mechanical device to reduce pulmonary complications during postoperative care. This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2007.

OBJECTIVES

Update the previously published systematic review to compare the effects of IS for preventing postoperative pulmonary complications in adults undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL and DARE on The Cochrane Library (Issue 2 of 4 2011), MEDLINE OVID (1948 to May 2011), EMBASE (1980 to Week 20 2011), LILACS (1982 to July 2011) , the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) (1980 to July 2011), Allied & Complementary Medicine (AMED) (1985 to May 2011), CINAHL (1982 to May 2011).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials comparing IS with any type of prophylactic physiotherapy for prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications in adults undergoing CABG.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two reviewers independently evaluated trial quality using the guidelines of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews and extracted data from included trials. For continuous outcomes, we used the generic inverse variance method for meta-analysis and for dichotomous data we used the Peto Odds Ratio.

MAIN RESULTS

This update included 592 participants from seven studies (two new and one that had been excluded in the previous review in 2007. There was no evidence of a difference between groups in the incidence of any pulmonary complications and functional capacity between treatment with IS and treatment with physical therapy, positive pressure breathing techniques (including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) and intermittent positive pressure breathing (IPPB), active cycle of breathing techniques (ACBT) or preoperative patient education. Patients treated with IS had worse pulmonary function and arterial oxygenation compared with positive pressure breathing. Based on these studies there was no improvement in the muscle strength between groups who received IS demonstrated by maximal inspiratory pressure and maximal expiratory pressure .

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Our update review suggests there is no evidence of benefit from IS in reducing pulmonary complications and in decreasing the negative effects on pulmonary function in patients undergoing CABG. In view of the modest number of patients studied, methodological shortcomings and poor reporting of the included trials, these results should still be interpreted cautiously. An appropriately powered trial of high methodological rigour is needed to determine if there are patients who may derive benefit from IS following CABG.

Incentive spirometry for preventing pulmonary complications after coronary artery bypass graft

BACKGROUND

Following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), the main causes of postoperative morbidity and mortality are postoperative pulmonary complications, respiratory dysfunction and arterial hypoxemia. Incentive spirometry is a treatment technique that uses a mechanical device (an incentive spirometer) to reduce such pulmonary complications during postoperative care.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of incentive spirometry for preventing postoperative pulmonary complications in adults undergoing CABG.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched CENTRAL on The Cochrane Library (Issue 2, 2004), MEDLINE (1966 to December 2004), EMBASE (1980 to December 2004), LILACS (1982 to December 2004), the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) (1980 to December 2004), Allied & Complementary Medicine (AMED) (1985 to December 2004), CINAHL (1982 to December 2004), and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE) (1994 to December 2004). References were checked and authors contacted. No language restrictions were applied.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomized controlled trials comparing incentive spirometry with any type of prophylactic physiotherapy for prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications in adults undergoing CABG.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two reviewers independently evaluated the quality of trials using the guidelines of the Cochrane Reviewers' Handbook and extracted data from included trials.

MAIN RESULTS

Four trials with 443 participants contributed to this review. There was no significant difference in pulmonary complications (atelectasis and pneumonia) between treatment with incentive spirometry and treatment with positive pressure breathing techniques (continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) and intermittent positive pressure breathing (IPPB)) or preoperative patient education. Patients treated with incentive spirometry had worse pulmonary function and arterial oxygenation compared with positive pressure breathing (CPAP, BiPAP, IPPB).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Individual small trials suggest that there is no evidence of benefit from incentive spirometry in reducing pulmonary complications and in decreasing the negative effects on pulmonary function in patients undergoing CABG. In view of the modest number of patients studied, methodological shortcomings and poor reporting of the included trials, these results should be interpreted cautiously. An appropriately powered trial of high methodological rigour is needed to determine those patients who may derive benefit from incentive spirometry following CABG.

Coronary artery bypass surgery in elderly people

An increasing number of elderly individuals are now undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. Elderly patients, compared with patients of a younger age group, present for surgery with a greater burden of risk factors and reduced functional levels. Short-term outcomes are hence poorer in them. But symptom relief occurs in most survivors and is accompanied by excellent rates of long-term survival and a good quality of life. Therefore, an individualised risk-benefit profile must be carefully constructed by clinicians, taking into account several different factors and not just age alone. This review summarises the current concepts of coronary artery bypass surgery from the perspective of the very old.

Changes in bone mineral and body composition following coronary artery bypass grafting in men

This study investigated bone mineral and body composition changes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in men. Twenty-six men 50 to 79 years of age underwent CABG for multivessel coronary disease. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was performed before surgery and 3 months and 1 year after treatment to assess bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), and body composition. Through 3 months after treatment, BMD decreased at the total body, arms, and pelvis. BMC of the arm decreased and losses at the total body and legs approached significance. Fat-free mass decreased in the arms and total body but not in the legs. Neither total body nor regional fat mass changed. At the 1-year follow-up visit, 15 of the initial 26 subjects returned for dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Compared with before treatment, BMD decreased at the total body and legs, whereas losses at the arms approached significance. Arm BMC decreased over the 1-year post-treatment period. No changes were observed in body composition. In conclusion, CABG and the ensuing convalescence period results in considerable arm bone mineral losses through 1 year after treatment.

Long-Term Survival of Patients After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: Comparison of the Pre-Stent and Post-Stent Eras

BACKGROUND

Although coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) has long been the "gold standard" for treatment of multivessel coronary artery disease, current percutaneous interventional technologies are challenging that claim. We sought to determine long-term survival after isolated CABG to establish a baseline for comparison with interventional patients.

METHODS

From 1968 through 2003, 20,835 patients underwent 22,378 isolated CABG procedures by a single surgical team. The intermittent fibrillation technique without use of cardioplegia was consistently utilized as a method of myocardial protection, using cardiopulmonary bypass. Patients were prospectively followed with direct contact at annual intervals. Age stratified survival was analyzed. Long-term survival was compared between pre-stent era patients and post-stent era patients.

RESULTS

Operative mortality was 2.5% (95% confidence interval: 2.2% to 2.7%) and remained approximately constant since 1974 despite increasing patient age and comorbidities. Follow-up was 84% complete with 172,773 patient-years. Overall 5-, 15-, 25-, and 35-year survival was 86% +/- 0.3%, 48% +/- 0.5%, 19% +/- 0.6%, and 7% +/- 1.2%. By Cox regression, older age, prior myocardial infarction, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and history of CABG were risk factors for long-term survival. Surgery performed during the post-stent era was a protective factor for long-term survival.

CONCLUSIONS

This study presents the long-term survival of a large series of patients after CABG performed by a single surgical team with intermittent fibrillation technique. There was no difference in observed survival up to 8 years between the pre-stent and post-stent eras. This study establishes a baseline of long-term CABG survival that could be used for comparison with other methods of surgical, or nonsurgical coronary revascularization.

Integrated coronary revascularization with drug-eluting stents: Immediate and seven-month outcome

OBJECTIVE

We sought to demonstrate the safety and feasibility of an integrated coronary revascularization strategy that combines minimally invasive left internal thoracic artery to left anterior descending coronary artery anastomosis with drug-eluting stent implantation to non-left anterior descending coronary artery lesions.

METHODS

Over 18 months, 47 consecutive patients with multivessel coronary artery disease underwent thoracoscopic harvesting of the left internal thoracic artery to graft the left anterior descending coronary artery. Anastomoses were constructed by hand, off-pump, and under direct vision through a 4-cm non-rib-spreading, muscle-sparing chest incision. Non-left anterior descending coronary artery lesions were then treated percutaneously using sirolimus- or paclitaxel-eluting stents. Angiographic follow-up was performed in all patients.

RESULTS

Within the first 90 days of hospitalizations, there were no deaths, myocardial infarctions, neurologic events, or wound complications. Forty patients underwent left internal thoracic artery to left anterior descending coronary artery grafting, and 7 patients underwent left internal thoracic artery to left anterior descending coronary artery/diagonal sequential grafting for a total of 54 anastomoses. Angiographic patency scores were FitzGibbon A 96.2% (52/54) and FitzGibbon A + B 100% (54/54). A total of 65 drug-eluting stents were implanted in 61 non-left anterior descending coronary artery coronary lesions of which 49.1% (30/61) were type B2 or C lesions, including 5 left main lesions. Diabetes was present in 53.2% of patients (25/47). At a mean follow-up time of 7.0 +/- 4.8 months, the target lesion or vessel repeat revascularization rate was 6.6% (4/61) for drug-eluting stents and 1.9% (1/54) for left internal thoracic artery to left anterior descending coronary artery grafting. One anastomosis required balloon dilation, but no patients have required repeat coronary artery bypass grafting.

CONCLUSIONS

Integrated coronary revascularization using drug-eluting stents is feasible and safe. There are sufficient data to justify a randomized comparison of integrated coronary revascularization with standard coronary artery bypass grafting.

Surgical Ventricular Remodeling for Patients with Clinically Advanced Congestive Heart Failure and Severe Left Ventricular Dysfunction

BACKGROUND

Surgical ventricular remodeling (SVR) is an accepted therapy for post-infarction ventricular remodeling. Current literature on SVR outcomes has focused on heterogeneous populations with regard to left ventricular function and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. We assessed outcomes after SVR in patients with advanced congestive heart failure (CHF) (NYHA Class III/IV) and a pre-operative ejection fraction (EF) < or =20%.

METHODS

Data were analyzed for 51 consecutive SVR patients from January 2002 to June 2004. Cardiac catheterization, echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) identified 62.7% (32 of 51) of patients with an EF < or =20%, with the majority having an EF < or =15% (65.6%; 21 of 32). Cox regression analysis was performed to determine predictors of mortality in patients with an EF < or =20%. Follow-up was 100% (32 of 32) complete.

RESULTS

Mean age was 61.9 +/- 10.3 (range 40 to 80) years with a male:female ratio of 27:5. Operative mortality was 6.3% (2 of 32). Twenty-two percent (7 of 32) had concomitant mitral valve procedures. Follow-up demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in left ventricular volumes and EF in survivors. Cox regression analysis identified the following to be significant predictors of mortality: pre-operative left ventricular end-systolic volume index >130 ml/m2; pre-operative diabetes; and intra-aortic balloon pump usage. Pre-operatively, all patients (32 of 32) were categorized as NYHA Class III/IV, with 69% (22 of 32) improving to NYHA Class I/II at follow-up (p < 0.01). Survival did not differ statistically between patients with an EF < or =20% and an EF >20% (n = 19).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that SVR improves left ventricular function and functional status for patients with advanced CHF and a pre-operative EF < or =20%. Therefore, SVR is a viable surgical alternative for patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction.