[Coronary artery surgery in women]

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality for women in developed countries. Numerous studies have shown that women have higher morbidity and mortality rates than men following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Having this evidence as our starting point, we compared the outcomes of CABG procedures in women and men. The analysis included patient preoperative risk factors (age, left ventricular ejection fraction, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular insult), number of grafts and perioperative complications (reopening for bleeding, perioperative myocardial infarction, sternal wound infections--both superficial and deep, atrial and ventricular fibrillation, cardiac decompensation), and mortality. Women had more risk factors and comorbidities than man, including arterial hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, but less severe atherosclerosis and higher left ventricular ejection fraction. Off-pump myocardial revascularization was done in 48% of women and in 42% of men. There was no statistically significant difference in perioperative complications between women and men. Comparison of the mean values showed the perioperative mortality to be higher in women than in men (3.4% vs. 2.9%), but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.724).