Clinical outcomes and quality of life after contemporary isolated coronary bypass grafting: a prospective cohort study

Successful pharmaco-mechanical treatment of a subtotally occluded venous bypass graft in a patient presenting with acute coronary syndrome: a case report and review of the current literature on the role of local thrombolysis

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a common and effective treatment for patients with complex coronary artery disease. This case report discusses a 75-year-old male patient who presented with angina and shortness of breath due to thrombus formation in a venous graft 20 years after CABG. Initial diagnostics indicated non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction, leading to immediate intervention. Cardiac catheterization revealed thrombus in the vein graft to the large first diagonal branch, necessitating percutaneous coronary intervention. Despite initial efforts, thrombus aspiration and further catheter advancement were unsuccessful. A combination of balloon angioplasty, stent implantation, and intra-arterial thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) was employed, resulting in significant thrombus reduction and improved coronary flow. Follow-up coronary CT angiography (CCTA) confirmed complete thrombus resolution and patent graft. The patient was discharged with dual antiplatelet therapy and showed favorable outcomes. This case emphasizes the challenges of managing thrombotic complications in venous bypass grafts and highlights the effectiveness of a multifaceted interventional approach combined with CCTA for non-invasive patient follow-up and assessment of treatment success. Furthermore, a review of the current literature on the role of local thrombolysis for occluded coronary artery bypass grafts is provided.

Impact of perioperative dexmedetomidine on long-term outcomes in older patients following cardiac surgery: follow-up of a randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Perioperative dexmedetomidine is reported to reduce complications and even in-hospital mortality after cardiac surgery. We therefore tested the hypothesis that perioperative dexmedetomidine may improve long-term outcomes after cardiac surgery.

METHODS

This was long-term follow-up of a randomized trial. We enrolled 285 patients aged 60 years or older who were scheduled for elective cardiac surgery. Patients were randomized to receive either dexmedetomidine or placebo (normal saline) during and early after surgery. Follow-up was conducted for up to 6 years post-surgery. The primary endpoint was overall survival. Secondary outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE)-free and hospital-free survivals, as well as cognitive function and quality of life in 6-year survivors.

RESULTS

All 285 patients were included in final analysis. Median follow-up duration was 80 months (interquartile range 30 to 80). Overall survival did not differ between the two groups: there were 18 deaths (12.6%) with placebo versus 22 deaths (15.5%) with dexmedetomidine; hazard ratio (HR) 1.22, 95% CI 0.65 to 2.27, p = 0.418. MACE-free survival was 23 (16.1%) with placebo versus 24 (16.9%) with dexmedetomidine; HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.83, P = 0.911. Hospital-free survival was 39 (27.3%) with placebo versus 42 (29.6%) with dexmedetomidine; HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.61, P = 0.853. Among 6-year survivors, the scores of cognitive function and quality of life were similar between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that, for older patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery, dexmedetomidine administered during and early after surgery did not alter overall and MACE-free survivals, as well as long-term cognitive function and quality of life. However, considering the underpowered sample size and non-negligible loss to follow-up rate, our results need further confirmation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03289325 (September 20, 2017).

From surgery to recovery: Measuring success through quality of life and functional improvements after cardiac surgery

Coronary artery disease and aortic valve stenosis are highly prevalent cardiovascular diseases worldwide, resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. Surgical interventions, such as coronary artery bypass grafting and surgical aortic valve replacement, offer significant therapeutic benefits, including enhanced postoperative quality of life (QoL) and functional capacity, which are key indicators of surgical success. This editorial reviews recent studies on postoperative QoL and functional outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Factors such as preoperative health, age, intensive care unit stay duration, surgical risk, and perioperative complications could influence these outcomes. Cardiac rehabilitation is pivotal in enhancing patient function, reducing frailty and improving long-term QoL.

Transatlantic analysis of patient profiles and mid-term survival after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting: a head-to-head comparison between the European DuraGraft Registry and the US STS Registry

Introduction

Although cardiovascular surgery societies in Europe and the USA constantly strive for the exchange of knowledge and best practices in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), the available evidence on whether such efforts result in similar patient outcomes is limited. Therefore, in the present analysis, we sought to compare patient profiles and overall survival outcomes for up to 3 years between large European and US patient cohorts who underwent isolated CABG.

Methods

Patients from the European DuraGraft Registry (n = 2,522) who underwent isolated CABG at 45 sites in eight different European countries between 2016 and 2019 were compared to randomly selected patients from the US STS database who were operated during the same period (n = 294,725). Free conduits (venous and arterial grafts) from the DuraGraft Registry patients were intraoperatively stored in DuraGraft, an endothelial damage inhibitor, before anastomosis, whereas grafts from the STS Registry patients in standard-of-care solutions (e.g., saline). Propensity score matching (PSM) models were used to account for differences in patient baseline and surgical characteristics, using a primary PSM with 35 variables (2,400 patients matched) and a secondary PSM with 25 variables (2,522 patients matched, sensitivity analysis). The overall survival for up to 3 years after CABG was assessed as the primary endpoint.

Results

The comparison of patient profiles showed significant differences between the European and US cohorts. The European patients had more left main disease, underwent more off-pump CABG, and received more arterial grafts together with more complete arterial grafting procedures. In contrast, the US patients received more distal anastomoses with more saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) that were mainly harvested endoscopically. Such differences, however, were well balanced after PSM for the mortality comparison. Mortality comparison at 30 days, 12 months, and 24 months between the European and US patients was 2.38% vs. 1.96%, 4.32% vs. 4.79%, and 5.38% vs. 6.96%, respectively. At 36 months, the mortality was significantly lower in the European patients than that of their US counterparts (7.37% vs. 9.65%; p-value = 0.016). The estimated hazard ratio (HR) was 1.29 (95% CI 1.05-1.59).

Conclusion

This large-scale transatlantic comparative analysis shows that there are some significant differences in patient profiles between large cohorts of European and US patients. These differences were adjusted by using PSM for the mortality analysis. No significant difference in mortality was detected between groups through 2 years, but survival was significantly better in the European DuraGraft Registry patients at 3 years post-CABG.

Sternum-sparing multivessel coronary surgery as a routine procedure: Midterm results of total coronary revascularization via left anterior thoracotomy

Objective

A sternum-sparing approach of minimally invasive total coronary revascularization via left anterior thoracotomy demonstrated promising early outcomes in unselected patients with coronary artery multivessel disease. Follow-up data are still missing.

Methods

From November 2019 to September 2023, coronary artery bypass grafting via left anterior minithoracotomy on cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic cardiac arrest was performed as a routine procedure in 392 consecutive, nonemergency patients (345 men; 67.0 ± 9.9 years; range, 32-88 years). All patients had multivessel coronary artery disease (77.6% 3-vessel-disease, 22.4% 2-vessel-disease, and 32.9% left main stenosis). Patients at old age (older than a 80 years, 12.5%), with severe left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction <30%, 7.9%), diabetes mellitus (34.9%), massive obesity (body mass index > 35, 8.9%), and chronic lung disease (17.1%) were included. Mean European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation II score was 2.9 ± 2.8. Mean midterm follow-up (100%) was 15.2 ± 10.7 months (range, 0.1-39.5 months).

Results

Left internal thoracic artery (99.0%), radial artery (70.4%), and saphenous vein grafts (57.4%) were used, and 70.4% of patients received at least 2 arterial grafts. A total of 3.0 ± 0.8 anastomoses (range, 2-5 anastomoses) per patient were performed to revascularize the territories of left anterior descending (98.7%), circumflex (91.6%), and right coronary (70.9%) artery. Complete anatomical revascularization was achieved in 95.1%. At follow-up, all-cause-mortality, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, and stroke was 3.1%, 1.5%, 5.4%, and 0.7%, respectively. Overall major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events rate was 8.7%.

Conclusions

This is the first report of midterm follow-up after routine sternum-sparing total coronary revascularization via left anterior thoracotomy for multivessel coronary artery disease with a high rate of multiple arterial grafting and complete anatomical revascularization. Outcome was favorable and similar to that of contemporary conventional coronary artery bypass grafting.

Outcomes after surgical revascularization in diabetic patients

OBJECTIVES

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have been repeatedly demonstrated to have worse clinical outcomes compared to patients without DM. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of DM on 1-year clinical outcomes after isolated CABG.

METHODS

The European DuraGraft registry included 1130 patients (44.6%) with and 1402 (55.4%) patients without DM undergoing isolated CABG. Intra-operatively, all free venous and arterial grafts were treated with an endothelial damage inhibitor. Primary end point in this analysis was the incidence of a major adverse cardiac event (MACE), a composite of all-cause death, repeat revascularization or myocardial infarction at 1 year post-CABG. To balance between differences in baseline characteristics (n = 1072 patients in each group), propensity score matching was used. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to identify independent predictors of MACE.

RESULTS

Diabetic patients had a higher cardiovascular risk profile and EuroSCORE II with overall more comorbidities. Patients were comparable in regard to surgical techniques and completeness of revascularization. At 1 year, diabetics had a higher MACE rate {7.9% vs 5.5%, hazard ratio (HR) 1.43 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-1.95], P = 0.02}, driven by increased rates of death [5.6% vs 3.5%, HR 1.61 (95% CI 1.10-2.36), P = 0.01] and myocardial infarction [2.8% vs 1.4%, HR 1.99 (95% CI 1.12-3.53) P = 0.02]. Following propensity matching, no statistically significant difference was found for MACE [7.1% vs 5.7%, HR 1.23 (95% CI 0.87-1.74) P = 0.23] or its components. Age, critical operative state, extracardiac arteriopathy, ejection fraction ≤50% and left main disease but not DM were identified as independent predictors for MACE.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, 1-year outcomes in diabetics undergoing isolated CABG were comparable to patients without DM.