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Published on: March 27, 2018
Effect of smoking status on mortality and morbidity following coronary artery bypass surgery
M N Ashraf1, A Mortasawi, A D Grayson
1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cardiothoracic Centre, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Insights
Smoking significantly increases risks after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), including infections and longer ventilation. Quitting smoking is crucial for patients to maximize long-term benefits from CABG surgery.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Thoracic Surgery
- Public Health
Background:
- Smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a common surgical intervention for severe coronary artery disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of smoking on patient outcomes after CABG surgery.
- To determine if preoperative smoking status affects in-hospital and long-term results following CABG.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 6,367 patients undergoing CABG.
- Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards analysis for risk adjustment.
- Outcomes adjusted for American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology guidelines.
Main Results:
- Current smokers (14.9%) had higher rates of chest infections, atelectasis, and prolonged ventilation.
- Current smokers experienced longer intensive care unit stays.
- Current smokers faced significantly increased long-term mortality compared to non-smokers.
Conclusions:
- Smoking cessation is recommended to improve long-term outcomes post-CABG.
- Encouraging patients to quit smoking can enhance the benefits of CABG surgery.
Background:
We aimed to examine the effect of smoking on outcomes following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
Methods:
We retrospectively analysed 6 367 consecutive patients who underwent CABG between April 1997 and March 2003. Logistic regression was used to risk adjust in-hospital outcomes, while Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to risk adjust Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Outcomes were adjusted for variables suggested by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.
Results:
947 (14.9 %) patients were current smokers (smoking within 1 month of surgery), while 3857 (60.6 %) were ex-smokers and 1 563 (24.5 %) were non-smokers. After adjusting for differences in case-mix, current smokers were more likely to develop chest infections ( p < 0.001), atelectasis ( p < 0.001), and require ventilation longer than 48 hours ( p = 0.003). Current smokers were also more likely to stay in intensive care for more than 3 days ( p < 0.001). Ex-smokers were not associated with excess mortality ( p = 0.11), while current smokers had significantly increased mortality during follow-up ( p = 0.029).
Conclusions:
Patients should be encouraged to stop smoking to maximise the long-term benefits of CABG.
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