Comparison of the effects of on-pump versus off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery on serum prostate-specific antigen levels

Aim: To compare the effects of coronary artery bypass operation with or without extracorporeal circulation on serum total prostate-specific antigen levels. Methods: Seventy-six men with a mean age of 57.04 +/- 9.27 years (range 44-77 years), who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery were enrolled to the study. In 50 patients (Group I), coronary revascularization was performed using extracorporeal circulation, and in 26 patients (Group II) coronary bypass grafting was performed on the beating heart without using extracorporeal circulation. All the patients had serum total prostate-specific antigen levels measured preoperatively and twice postoperatively in the first and fifth postoperative days. Differences in mean total prostate-specific antigen levels between the two groups in the postoperative period were analysed. Results: The mean preoperative total prostate-specific antigen levels in Group I and Group II were 1.28 +/- 1.13 ng/mL and 1.11 +/- 0.93 ng/mL, respectively, and there was no significant difference in the preoperative total prostate-specific antigen values between the two groups (P = 0.519). In Group I, postoperative means were 4.96 +/- 6.29 ng/mL and 5.86 +/- 9.09 ng/mL in the first and fifth days, respectively (P = 0.0001, P = 0.0001). Total prostate-specific antigen means in the same postoperative period for Group II were 2.13 +/- 2.72 ng/mL and 2.00 +/- 2.20 ng/mL, respectively (P = 0.014, P = 0.024). The comparison of total postoperative prostate-specific antigen levels between the groups showed significantly higher elevation in Group I (postoperative day 1: P = 0.013; day 5: P = 0.05). Conclusions: Coronary revascularization can cause a statistically significant rise in serum total prostate-specific antigen levels. This rise is more marked in patients undergoing conventional coronary revascularization.