Emergency off-pump coronary artery surgery

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting is fast-becoming a procedure of choice for elective revascularization in high-risk patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease. However, the role of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting for patients with acute coronary syndromes requiring emergency revascularization still requires validation. We present our experience to show the feasibility of off-pump coronary artery surgery as an emergency revascularization technique.

From April 2001 to September 2003, emergency (operation within 24 hours after hospitalization) coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was performed in 66 patients with a mean age of (66.9 +/- 5.4) years (range 49-72 years). They presented acute coronary syndromes with 38 patients on platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists. All patients underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery via sternotomy with the intention of complete coronary revascularization.

An average of 2.9 grafts per patient were performed and the posterior descending artery and marginal branches of the circumflex artery were grafted in 83.3% of the patients. There were 4 events of intraoperative cardiac instability, precipitated by occlusion of right coronary artery or positioning of a cardiomegaly heart, leading to immediate conversion to CPB. The mortality rate was 3% (2/66). Two patients suffered postoperative stroke while three needed hemofiltration for acute renal failure. Post surgery elective coronary angiography (n = 46) showed no significant stenosis.

Emergency off-pump coronary artery surgery with complete revascularization is feasible in patients with acute coronary syndrome with low morbidity and mortality and excellent early results.