Arterial grafts balance survival between incomplete and complete revascularization: a series of 1000 consecutive coronary artery bypass graft patients with 98% arterial grafts

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2014 Jan;147(1):75-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2013.08.003. Epub 2013 Sep 29.

Abstract

Objective: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with incomplete revascularization (ICR) is thought to decrease survival. We studied the survival of patients with ICR undergoing total arterial grafting.

Methods: In a consecutive series of all-comer 1000 patients with isolated CABG, operative and midterm survival were assessed for patients undergoing complete versus ICR, with odds ratios and hazard ratios, adjusted for European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation category, CABG urgency, age, and comorbidities.

Results: In this series of 1000 patients with 98% arterial grafts (2922 arterial, 59 vein grafts), 73% of patients with multivessel disease received bilateral internal mammary artery grafts. ICR occurred in 140 patients (14%). Operative mortality was 3.8% overall, 8.6% for patients with ICR, and 3.2% for patients with complete revascularization (P = .008). For operative mortality using multivariable logistic regression, after controlling for European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation category (P < .001) and CABG urgency (P = .03), there was no evidence of a statistically significant increased risk of death due to ICR (odds ratio, 1.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-3.77). For midterm follow-up (median, 54 months [interquartile range, 27-85 months]), after controlling for European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation category (P < .001) and comorbidities (P = .017) there was a significant interaction between age ≥ 80 years and ICR (P = .017) in predicting mortality. The adjusted hazard ratio associated with ICR for patients older than age 80 years was 5.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.8-18.0) versus 1.2 (95% confidence interval, 0.7-2.1) for younger patients.

Conclusions: This is the first study to suggest that ICR in patients with mostly arterial grafts is not associated with decreased survival perioperatively and at midterm in patients younger than age 80 years. Arterial grafting, because of longevity, may balance survival between complete revascularization and ICR.

Keywords: 23.1; CABG; CIRC; CR; EuroSCORE; European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation; FFR; ICR; IMA; LAD; PCI; RCA; circumflex artery; complete revascularization; coronary artery bypass graft; fractional-flow reserve; incomplete revascularization; internal mammary artery; left anterior descending; percutaneous coronary intervention; right coronary artery.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Coronary Artery Bypass / adverse effects
  • Coronary Artery Bypass / methods*
  • Coronary Artery Bypass / mortality
  • Coronary Artery Disease / mortality
  • Coronary Artery Disease / surgery*
  • Female
  • Graft Survival*
  • Hospital Mortality
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Mammary Arteries / transplantation*
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Odds Ratio
  • Risk Factors
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Veins / transplantation