A prospective, randomized study of endothelin and postoperative recovery in off-pump versus conventional coronary...

The objectives are 2-fold: (1). to serially determine endothelin (ET) levels in arterial vascular compartments in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery using either cardiopulmonary bypass or off-pump techniques, and (2). to define potential relationships between endothelial levels and specific perioperative parameters of patient recovery.

In a prospective, randomized study, endothelin plasma content was measured from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting using either off-pump techniques (OPCAB group, n = 25) or conventional cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB group, n = 25) before surgery, before and after coronary artery anastomosis, and 6 and 24 hours postoperatively. Specific indices of patient recovery including pulmonary artery pressures, ventilation requirement, and hospital stay were documented for patients in both study groups.

Postoperative systemic arterial ET levels were significantly increased by 200% in the CPB group and 50% in the OPCAB group. ET levels remained significantly higher in the CPB group relative to the OPCAB group throughout the postoperative period of observation (p < 0.05). Pulmonary artery pressures, ventilation requirement, and hospital stay were significantly increased in patients in the CPB group.

Postoperative ET levels were higher in patients who underwent CPB for coronary artery bypass surgery. Increased ET in the postoperative period may contribute to a more complex recovery from coronary artery bypass surgery in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass.