Coronary Bypass Surgery in Patients with Coronary Disease: A Multicentric Prospective Study

pp 605-616

Abstract

Objective

To define baseline characteristics of the population, incidence of complications and mortality, in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery(CABG) as well as to assess preoperative risk factors and relate them to posoperative mortality.

Material and methods

Data from 2125 patients undergoing cardiac surgery between August 1996 and July 1997, in 4 health centers in the Argentine Republic, were recorded consecutively and prospectively.

Results

A total of 1493 (70%) patients were submitted to CABG. Demographic and medical profiles of these patients were as follows: age, 62.1 ± 9.6 yr.; previous CABG, 5.2%; previousAMI,38.8% and AMI less than 30 days, 11%. The most frequent clinical presentation was unstable angina (59%). The prevalence of 3-vessel disease was 50.8% and that of left coronary branch disease (>_ 50%) appeared in 19%of the study group. Elective surgery was performed in 73% of the patients and severe left ventricular dysfunction was present in 11% of them. The most frequent and severe complication was the low cardiac output syndrome (incidence 18%). The total mortality rate resulted in 5.1%, similar to the expected one according to international reports.

Conclusions

In this study it was clear that it is possible to obtain reliable data in our country, but it needs hard work and commitment. This effort allowed us to gather a large amount of information, baseline characteristics and predictors of mortality that we hope will improve postoperative outcomes of re-vascularization surgery in our country.