title: Immediate and intermediate outcome after off-pump and on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with unstable angina pectoris.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We have evaluated the immediate and intermediate outcome after off-pump (OPCAB) and conventional on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (CCAB) in patients with unstable angina pectoris requiring nitrates infusion until arrival in the operating room.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive series of 153 and 161 patients with unrelenting angina pectoris underwent CCAB and OPCAB, respectively. Conversion from OPCAB to beating heart surgery with perfusion occurred in 4 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The OPCAB patients had a significantly higher operative risk than CCAB patients (logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation [EuroSCORE]: 13.8 +/- 12.8% vs 10.5 +/- 10.0%, p = 0.005). In the overall series, a lower 30-day postoperative mortality was observed among OPCAB patients (1.9% vs 3.9%, p = 0.33), the difference increased along the logistic EuroSCORE tertiles (upper tertile: 3.2% vs 9.5%, p = 0.14), but failed to reach statistical significance. Similar results have been observed among one-to-one propensity score matched pairs. The results of three surgeons who treated most of their patients (96.9%) with OPCAB were compared with those of three surgeons who used, in most of cases (97.1%), the CCAB technique. When adjusted for logistic EuroSCORE, patients operated on by CCAB surgeons had a significantly higher 30-day postoperative mortality (7.1% vs 2.1%, p = 0.04; odds ratio [OR] 10.143; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.084 to 94.945) as well as a higher risk of combined adverse events (47.1% vs. 35.1%, p = 0.009; OR 2.586; 95% CI 1.274 to 5.250).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provided further evidence on the safety and efficacy of OPCAB in the treatment of high-risk patients. A dedicated approach to OPCAB seems to provide particularly good results. Such findings further support a more confident approach with OPCAB in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland. faustobiancari@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Biancari
authors.forename: Muhammad Ali Asim
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mahar
authors.forename: Martti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mosorin
authors.forename: Jouni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heikkinen
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pokela
authors.forename: Panu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Taskinen
authors.forename: Vesa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Anttila
authors.forename: Jarmo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lahtinen
authors.forename: Martti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lepojärvi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome