Off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery versus standard linear or pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass: endothelial

Francesco Onorati1, Antonino S Rubino, Sergio Nucera

  • 1Cardiac Surgery Unit, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy. frankono@libero.it

Insights

Off-pump CABG (OPCABG) and pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass (PCPB) minimize inflammatory responses and endothelial activation after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Linear CPB (LCPB) showed poorer outcomes, with longer recovery times.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Surgery
  • Inflammatory Response
  • Endothelial Function

Background:

  • Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) outcomes are affected by perioperative inflammation and endothelial activation.
  • Pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass (PCPB) and off-pump CABG (OPCABG) are potential strategies to mitigate these adverse effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare biochemical and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing CABG using PCPB, linear CPB (LCPB), or OPCABG.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective randomized trial involving 60 patients undergoing elective isolated CABG.
  • Patients were assigned to PCPB (n=20), LCPB (n=20), or OPCABG (n=20).
  • Measurements included proinflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, IL-8), anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10), and endothelial markers (VEGF, MCP-1) pre-, during, and post-surgery.

Main Results:

  • OPCABG showed the least increase and lowest overall levels of VEGF and MCP-1; LCPB showed the highest.
  • Interleukin-6 and -8 levels significantly increased with both CPB types compared to OPCABG.
  • LCPB group experienced significantly longer intubation, ICU, and hospital stays compared to PCPB and OPCABG groups.

Conclusions:

  • Linear CPB (LCPB) appears to exacerbate endothelial activation and cytokine release, potentially delaying patient recovery.
  • Off-pump CABG (OPCABG) demonstrated minimal endothelial and cytokine response.
  • Pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass (PCPB) effectively attenuates endothelial/cytokine leakage, yielding hospital outcomes comparable to OPCABG.
Abstract