Microcirculatory perfusion is preserved during off-pump but not on-pump cardiac surgery

This study investigated the perioperative course of microcirculatory perfusion in off-pump compared with on-pump surgery. Additionally, the impact of changes in systemic hemodynamics, hematocrit, and body temperature was studied.

Prospective, nonrandomized, observational study.

Tertiary university hospital.

Patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with (n = 13) or without (n = 13) use of cardiopulmonary bypass.

Microcirculatory measurements were obtained at 5 time points ranging from induction of anesthesia to ICU admission.

Microcirculatory recordings were performed with sublingual sidestream dark field imaging. Despite a comparable reduction in intraoperative blood pressure between groups, the perfused vessel density decreased more than 20% after onset of extracorporeal circulation but remained stable in the off-pump group. The reduction in microvascular perfusion in the on-pump group was further paralleled by decreased hematocrit and temperature. Although postbypass hematocrit levels and body temperature were restored to similar levels as in the off-pump group, the median microvascular flow index remained reduced after bypass (2.4 [2.3-2.7]) compared with baseline (2.8 [2.7-2.9]; p = 0.021).

Microcirculatory perfusion remained unaltered throughout off-pump surgery. In contrast, microvascular perfusion declined after initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass and did not recover in the early postoperative phase.