Impact of off-pump coronary bypass grafting on the prevalence of adverse perioperative outcome in women undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery

Background. Female gender has been associated with a high prevalence of perioperative morbidity and mortality in coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG). We attempted to determine a potential benefit of off-pump CABG as compared with on-pump CABG (OPCAB) with regard to perioperative outcome in female patients. Methods. Data were prospectively gathered on 2,182 consecutive female patients undergoing CABG either with or without cardiopulmonary bypass from 1996 to 2001. The associations between OPCAB surgery in addition with 22 further preoperative patient-related or treatment-related variables and 26 perioperative outcome variables were assessed with multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results. One hundred fifty-two (7.0%) female patients underwent OPCAB surgery during the study period. Women undergoing OPCAB had higher ejection fractions and received fewer coronary artery bypass grafts than CABG patients. Surgery using OPCAB was associated with shorter hospital stays, less bleeding, less transfusion requirements, and lower mortality than CABG. Furthermore, OPCAB surgery was independently associated with a lower prevalence of high perioperative transfusion requirement, postoperative respiratory insufficiency, postoperative renal insufficiency, and dialysis. Prevalence of postoperative blood loss of at least 500 mL was significantly higher after OPCAB surgery. Conclusions. OPCAB in female patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery is safe and seems to be beneficial with regard to perioperative outcome as compared with conventional on-pump CABG. For that reason, off-pump surgery may be an effective method of lowering morbidity and mortality in these relatively high-risk patients.