title: Coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with low ejection fraction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with low ejection fraction (EF) are at a higher risk for postoperative complications and mortality. Our objective was to assess the effect of low EF on clinical outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed 55,515 patients from New York State database who underwent CABG between 1997 and 1999. Patients were stratified into 1 of the 4 EF groups: Group I (EF< or =20%), Group II (EF 21% to 30%), Group III (EF 31% to 40%), and Group IV (EF>40%). History of previous myocardial infarction, renal failure, and congestive heart failure were higher in patients with low EF (all P<0.001). Group I experienced a higher incidence of postoperative respiratory failure (10.1% versus 2.9%), renal failure (2.5% versus 0.6%), and sepsis (2.5% versus 0.6%) compared with Group IV. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in Group I (6.5% versus 1.4%; P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed hepatic failure [odds ratio (OR), 11.2], renal failure (OR, 4.1), previous myocardial infarction (OR, 3.4), reoperation (OR, 3.4), emergent procedures (OR, 3.2), female gender (OR, 1.7), congestive heart failure (OR, 1.6), and age (OR, 1.04) as independent predictors of in-hospital mortality in the low EF group. The discharges to home rate were significantly lower in Group I versus Group IV (73.1% and 87.7%, respectively; P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with low EF are sicker at baseline and have >4 times higher mortality than patients with high EF. However, outcomes are improving over time and are superior to historical data. Therefore, CABG remains a viable option in selected patients with low EF.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Veli K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Topkara
authors.forename: Faisal H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Cheema
authors.forename: Satish
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kesavaramanujam
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Mercando
authors.forename: Ayesha F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Cheema
authors.forename: Pearila B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Namerow
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Argenziano
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Naka
authors.forename: Mehmet C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Oz
authors.forename: Barry C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Esrig
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002303:Cardiac Output, Low / Q000150:complications*; D015897:Comorbidity; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016896:Treatment Outcome