Influence of Preoperative COVID-19 Vaccination on Outcomes After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting-A Propensity...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Concerns exist regarding COVID-19 vaccine safety, specifically thrombosis and cardiac events, in high-risk cardiovascular patients.
• The impact of preoperative COVID-19 vaccination on outcomes following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) requires thorough investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the effect of preoperative COVID-19 vaccination on patient outcomes after CABG.
• To assess the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing major cardiac surgery.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 481 patients who underwent isolated CABG between 2020 and 2022 had their vaccination status confirmed.
• Propensity score matching was used to compare 156 pairs of never-vaccinated and fully vaccinated patients.
• Outcomes analyzed included early mortality, overall survival, major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, and one-year graft patency.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in early mortality was observed between the never-vaccinated and fully vaccinated groups post-matching.
• Overall survival (P=0.930) and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event-free survival (P=0.636) were comparable between the groups.
• One-year graft patency rates were similar, with 82% in the never-vaccinated group and 85% in the fully vaccinated group (P=0.685). Subgroup analyses by vaccine type and timing to surgery also showed no significant differences.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative COVID-19 vaccination does not adversely affect major outcomes in patients undergoing CABG, even in those with high cardiovascular risk.
• Patients with coronary artery disease requiring CABG can safely receive preoperative COVID-19 vaccination without compromising surgical outcomes.