Risk of stroke with coronary artery bypass graft surgery compared with percutaneous coronary intervention.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to determine whether coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is associated with an increased risk of stroke compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).


BACKGROUND
Some, but not all, randomized trials have reported increased rates of stroke with CABG compared with PCI. However, all these studies were powered insufficiently to examine differences in the risk of stroke reliably.


METHODS
We performed a meta-analysis of 19 trials in which 10,944 patients were randomized to CABG versus PCI. The primary end point was the 30-day rate of stroke. We also determined the rate of stroke at the midterm follow-up and investigated whether there was an interaction between revascularization type and the extent of coronary artery disease on the relative risk of stroke.


RESULTS
The 30-day rate of stroke was 1.20% after CABG compared with 0.34% after PCI (odds ratio: 2.94, 95% confidence interval: 1.69 to 5.09, p < 0.0001). Similar results were observed after a median follow-up of 12.1 months (1.83% vs. 0.99%, odds ratio: 1.67, 95% confidence interval: 1.09 to 2.56, p = 0.02). The extent of coronary artery disease (single vessel vs. multivessel vs. left main) did not affect the relative increase in the risk of stroke observed with CABG compared with PCI at either 30 days (p = 0.57 for interaction) or midterm follow-up (p = 0.08 for interaction). Similar results were observed when the outcomes in 33,980 patients from 27 observational studies were analyzed.


CONCLUSIONS
Coronary revascularization by CABG compared with PCI is associated with an increased risk of stroke at 30 days and at the mid-term follow-up.
Istituto di Cardiologia, Policlinico S. Orsola, Bologna, Italy.
Tullio
T
Palmerini
Giuseppe
G
Biondi-Zoccai
Letizia Bacchi
LB
Reggiani
Diego
D
Sangiorgi
Laura
L
Alessi
Stefano
S
De Servi
Angelo
A
Branzi
Gregg W
GW
Stone
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D018570:Risk Assessment; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*