title: To pump or not to pump?
abstract: Coronary artery bypass grafting is performed on the beating heart and thus requires the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. To avoid the complications associated with cardiopulmonary bypass, off-pump bypass (OPB) is viewed as a desirable alternative. Technological advancements have made OPB a viable option in an expanding population of patients. As a result, the number of OPB surgeries performed annually in the United States has increased. Critical care nurses are increasingly likely to provide care for patients after off-pump surgery. The differences between on-pump and OPB surgeries affect the postoperative nursing care requirements. While there are many common aspects of postoperative cardiac care for these 2 groups of surgical patients, there is a need to focus on the unique aspects of care for OPB patients. Despite promising short-term results in OPB patients, questions surrounding this procedure remain. Studies are under way to determine long-term graft patency.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Presbyterian-Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA. shatzermb@upmc.edu
authors.forename: Melanie B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Shatzer
authors.forename: Elisabeth L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects; D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D024802:Nurse's Role; D018579:Patient Selection; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D014654:Vascular Patency