Significance of preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction in 5-year outcome after isolated CABG

Aida Fallahzadeh1, Ali Sheikhy1, Ali Ajam2

  • 1Research Department, Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Insights

Patients with severely reduced ejection fraction (EF) face higher mortality after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. However, cerebro-cardiovascular events (CCVEs) risk may not increase significantly after accounting for other health conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Outcomes Research

Background:

  • Pre-operative ejection fraction (EF) and comorbidities significantly influence outcomes following cardiac surgery.
  • Understanding the impact of varying EF levels on mortality and adverse events is crucial for patient management.
  • Comorbidity distribution across different EF groups requires detailed evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare mortality and adverse events in patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery based on pre-operative ejection fraction (EF).
  • To analyze the distribution of comorbidities within different EF categories.
  • To identify predictors of mortality and cerebro-cardiovascular events (CCVEs) after CABG.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective analysis of 20,937 patients undergoing isolated CABG between 2006 and 2016.
  • Patients were stratified into three groups: Normal EF (≥50%), Mild-Moderately Reduced EF (35-50%), and Severely Reduced EF (<35%).
  • Multivariate Cox-regression analysis was employed to identify predictors of mortality and CCVEs, with a median follow-up of 5.61 years.

Main Results:

  • The median 5-year mortality rates were 9.5% (Normal EF), 12.8% (Mild-Moderately Reduced EF), and 22.7% (Severely Reduced EF) (P<0.001).
  • Diabetes mellitus was a common risk factor for mortality and CCVEs across all EF groups.
  • Impaired renal function (GFR<60 ml/min) independently increased mortality risk post-CABG, irrespective of EF.

Conclusions:

  • Severely reduced EF is a significant predictor of increased mortality risk following CABG.
  • While trends suggest higher CCVEs in severe LV dysfunction, this did not reach statistical significance after adjusting for comorbidities.
  • Pre-operative comorbidities play a critical role in modulating the risk of adverse events after CABG, particularly in patients with reduced EF.
Abstract