title: The impact of diffuseness of coronary artery disease on the outcomes of patients undergoing primary and reoperative coronary artery bypass grafting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Diffuse coronary artery disease jeopardizes myocardium, increasing surgical mortality in primary coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We sought to determine the impact of diffuseness on pre- and post-discharge outcomes for both primary and reoperative CABG (REOP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a validated system for measuring diffuseness of coronary disease, preoperative angiograms were scored for primary CABG (n=792) and REOP cases (n=268) performed 1997-2004. A diffuseness score (DS)>18 was defined as elevated. In-hospital mortality, intermediate-term survival, and in-hospital composite outcome (COMP) (one or more of: mortality, stroke, MI, deep sternal infection, sepsis, IABP insertion, or return to OR) were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In-hospital mortality and COMP for patients with DS>18 were significantly higher (7.9% vs 2.4%, p<0.0001), (17.8% vs 9.2%, p<0.0001). DS (mean+/-SD) was higher in REOP cases than primary CABG (18.9+/-7.1 vs 14.4+/-6.0, p<0.0001). By multivariate analysis, DS>18 (OR 2.00, 95%CI, 1.20-3.32, p=0.008) and REOP (OR 2.40, 95%CI, 1.53-3.77, p<0.0001) were independently associated with COMP. Using propensity scores 82% of cases with DS>18 (n=289) were matched 1:1 to cases with DS<or=18. In-hospital mortality and COMP were significantly higher for cases with DS>18 (6.9% vs 2.8%, p=0.02), (16.6% vs 10.4%, p=0.03). Comparing cases with DS<or=18 versus DS>18 and primary CABG versus REOP, survival at 2 years was 92.1% versus 84.5% (p=0.001) and 92.7% versus 82.7% (p<0.0001), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diffuse coronary artery disease is an important predictor of morbidity and mortality in primary and REOP CABG patients, and should be considered in both individual patient assessment and risk adjustment.
authors.affiliation: Maritime Heart Center, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McNeil
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Buth
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brydie
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: MacLaren
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baskett
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D012086:Reoperation; D016896:Treatment Outcome