title: Preoperative atrial fibrillation and outcome in patients undergoing on-pump or off-pump coronary bypass surgery: lessons learned from the GOPCABE trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients undergoing coronary bypass grafting (CABG) are at higher risk if they suffer from atrial fibrillation (AF). It was suggested that performing CABG without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (off-pump) would reduce perioperative risk. We assessed the influence of preoperative AF on outcome in a randomized cohort of patients above the age of 75 undergoing either on-pump or off-pump CABG.
  
  
  METHODS
  The German Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass grafting in the Elderly trial, a randomized, controlled multicentre trial conducted at 12 German institutions, enrolled 2303 patients between 2008 and 2011. The presence of AF was recorded at admission and discharge. There was no record on the rhythm status during hospital stay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AF at admission was present in 5% in the on-pump (121/1158) and 5% in the off-pump (112/1145) group. The number of patients with AF at discharge was not different between these two groups (10% on pump, 10% off pump). As expected, AF patients had worse preoperative conditions, which had a negative impact on outcome: The combined end-point of death, infarction, stroke, dialysis and revascularization occurred more often (13 vs 8%, P = 0.008) and 30-day mortality was significantly higher (6 vs 2%, P = 0.003) in AF patients. However, the operative technique used for CABG did not affect these outcome parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AF at admission is a significant risk factor for elderly patients undergoing coronary bypass grafting. However, this risk is not altered by performing bypass grafting off pump.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Giessen, Giessen, Germany andreas.boening@chiru.med.uni-giessen.de.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Böning
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Herz- und Gefäßklinik, Bad Neustadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Anno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diegeler
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hilker
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Herz- und Gefäßklinik, Bad Neustadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zacher
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Herz- und Gefäßklinik, Bad Neustadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Wilko
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reents
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Faerber
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Doenst
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Coronary artery bypass grafting; GOPCABE; Off-pump; Perioperative results