Long-term outcome after coronary endarterectomy adjunct to coronary artery bypass grafting

Coronary endarterectomy (CE) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is occasionally required to achieve revascularization in diffusely diseased vessels. Its beneficial effect has been questioned because of an increased risk of perioperative mortality and morbidity; however, its influence on the long-term outcome remains uncertain. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of adjunct CE on the incidence of a first postoperative angiogram and the need for repeat intervention and on late deaths after CABG.

Two propensity-matched cohorts of patients undergoing CABG with CE (537 patients) and without adjunct CE (no CE) (537 patients) in Sweden over the period 2000-2015 were used to compare long-term outcomes. Mortality rates, postoperative incidence of coronary angiography and the need for reintervention were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method.

The mean follow-up time (standard deviation) was 9.9 (4.6) years for CE and 10.0 (4.6) years for no CE. Overall survival, clinically driven angiography and coronary reintervention during follow-up (95% confidence interval) at 10 years were 65.8% (60.8-70.3), 28.2% (23.8-34.3) and 11.6% (8.7-15.3), respectively, for CE and 70.7% (65.9-74.9), 21.7% (17.8-26.3) and 12.7% (9.7-16.6), respectively, for no CE. There was a significant difference in the use of postoperative angiography between the 2 groups (P = 0.02).

Although patients are subjected to an increased risk of repeat angiography, CE seems to be an acceptable treatment alternative in patients who have diffuse coronary artery disease that cannot be treated effectively by CABG alone.