Off-pump coronary revascularization in chronic dialysis-dependent patients: early outcomes at a single institution

Atherosclerotic vascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease. Several authors reported that chronic dialytic patients have a high operative risk when submitted to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) whereas little information exists about off-pump myocardial revascularization in these patients.

Between January 2000 and December 2008, 17 consecutive patients (12 men, mean age of 62.3 +/- 12.3 years) with end-stage renal failure maintained on chronic hemodialysis underwent isolated off-pump CABG at our center. To evaluate this approach we compared the outcomes of off-pump revascularization with those obtained in the same period in 23 patients (20 men, mean age of 64.0 +/- 9.7 years), with the same preoperative features, who underwent conventional CABG on the arrested heart using CPB.

Off-pump revascularization in end-stage renal disease patients showed a satisfactory incidence of mortality and morbidity rates. When compared with conventional CPB CABG group, off-pump patients had a lower incidence of bleeding, transfusions, ventilation support time, length of inotropic support and perioperative myocardial infarction. Also ICU and hospital stay and incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation were lower in off-pump CABG patients.

In our experience, avoidance of CPB in end-stage renal disease patients was associated with an acceptable incidence of postoperative complications and of major adverse events. Off-pump CABG is a safe and effective method of myocardial revascularization in chronically dialyzed patients that should strongly be taken in consideration when planning the surgical strategy in this selected cohort of patients, although multicentric prospective randomized controlled trials are strongly recommended.