Update: Gender differences in CABG outcomes-Have we bridged the gap?

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Health Services Research
• Gender Medicine

Background:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) presentation and pathophysiology differ in women, prompting gender-specific risk stratification.
• Advances in risk reduction for women's CAD have not definitively translated to improved outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
• Conflicting data exists regarding gender-based improvements in CABG outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate gender disparities in post-operative outcomes following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
• To identify specific areas of increased morbidity in women undergoing CABG.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database.
• Inclusion of patients undergoing CABG between 2002 and 2020.
• Multivariable regression and Bonferroni correction for outcome analysis.

Main Results:

• The cohort comprised 6,250 patients (1,339 women, 4,911 men).
• Women had higher rates of diabetes (52.0% vs. 41.2%) and hypertension (89.1% vs. 84.0%).
• Women showed increased odds of prolonged ventilator dependence (OR: 1.65) and cardiac readmissions (OR: 1.56), but comparable mortality rates to age-matched men after adjustment.

Conclusions:

• Despite comparable mortality, women experience a higher burden of postoperative morbidity after CABG.
• Targeted interventions are necessary to mitigate postoperative complications in female CABG patients.