Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiogenic Shock

Christina Grothusen1,2, Christine Friedrich1, Ulysses Ulbricht1

  • 1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, 24105 Kiel, Germany.

Insights

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) within 48 hours of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and cardiogenic shock (CS) shows comparable outcomes to other treatments, suggesting CABG is a viable option for complex cases.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Interventional Cardiology

Background:

  • Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS) has high mortality.
  • Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is rarely used in CS due to peri-operative risk concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the outcomes of CS patients undergoing urgent CABG (within 48 hours) after AMI diagnosis.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 220 AMI patients with CS who underwent CABG between 2001 and 2018.
  • Patients were stratified by ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI).

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in 30-day mortality (32.6% STEMI vs. 31.6% NSTEMI) or post-operative complications were observed between STEMI and NSTEMI groups.
  • Complete revascularization was achieved in most patients (82.3% STEMI, 73.4% NSTEMI).
  • Rates of low cardiac output and cerebrovascular injury were similar across groups.

Conclusions:

  • Urgent CABG in AMI patients with CS is a feasible treatment option, even with complex coronary artery disease.
  • CABG outcomes in this high-risk population are comparable to expectations, challenging the reluctance to perform it.
  • Further research into percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) versus CABG in AMI with CS is warranted.
Abstract