Sex Difference in Long-Term Survival After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Is Age-Dependent.

OBJECTIVES: Women undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) demonstrate higher rates of postoperative morbidity and mortality than men. The aim of this study was to compare the patient profile and long-term outcomes of men and women undergoing isolated CABG. DESIGN: A retrospective patient record study and propensity score-matched analysis. SETTING: This single-center study was performed at Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: The study comprised 17,483 patients, of whom 13,564 (77.6%) were men and 3,919 (22.4%) were women. INTERVENTIONS: Coronary artery bypass grafting was performed between January 1998 and December 2015. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 8.8 ± 5.0 years. Women were older than men (67.7 ± 9.4 years v 63.9 ± 9.6 years, p < 0.001) and had lower preoperative hemoglobin levels. Early mortality (30-day) (2.8% v 1.9%; p < 0.001) and one-year mortality (5.2% v 3.8%; p < 0.001) rates were significantly higher in women than in men. Women demonstrated worse long-term survival than men only in the population younger than 70 years. After propensity score matching, female sex was not identified as an independent risk factor for long-term survival. CONCLUSIONS: In the patient population, propensity score-matched analysis showed that female sex was not an independent risk factor for long-term survival after CABG. Poorer survival in women after CABG only was observed in patients <70 years of age.

Preventing spasm of the radial artery conduit during coronary artery bypass grafting: Nicardipine versus verapamil.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: In vitro studies have shown a reduction in radial artery spasm with the use of calcium antagonists. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of topical treatment of the radial artery conduit using either verapamil or nicardipine before the anastomoses. METHODS: This prospective randomized study included 131 patients, who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting surgery with the use of the radial artery as a conduit. In 65 patients, the harvested radial artery was topically treated with verapamil and in 66 patients with nicardipine. After harvesting the radial artery, the direct flow through the conduit was measured in vitro before 5-minute incubation in nicardipine or verapamil and measured again after incubation. The flow before and after incubation was compared. Postincubation flow was also compared in the two groups. After performing the anastomosis, the flow through the radial artery was measured in vivo. RESULTS: The mean flow after NaCl incubation was 19.93 ± 12.66 mL/min and after incubation in the Ca+ channel blocker 47.16 ± 14.58 mL/min (P < .001). No significant difference in postincubation free flow was found between verapamil (46.29 ± 15.43 mL/min) and nicardipine (48.01 ± 13.77 mL/min; P = .503). CONCLUSION: Topical treatment with Ca+ channel blockers reduces radial artery spasm and significantly increases the free flow through the radial artery conduit. Nicardipine is a safe and effective alternative of verapamil in preventing spasm of radial artery conduit.

The impact of surgical aortic valve replacement on quality of life-a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effect of surgical aortic valve replacement on quality of life and the variance with age, particularly in patients at risk of deterioration. METHODS: In an observational, multicenter, cohort study of routinely collected health data, patients undergoing and electively operated between January 2011 and January 2015 with pre- and postoperative quality of life data were included. Patients were classified into 3 age groups: <65, 65-79, and ≥80 years. Quality of life was measured at baseline and at 1-year follow-up using the Short-Form Health Survey-12 or SF-36. We defined a >5-point difference as a minimal clinically important difference. Multivariable linear regression analysis, with adjustment for confounders, was used to evaluate the association between age and quality of life. RESULTS: In 899 patients, mean physical health increased from 55 to 66 and mental health from 60 to 66. A minimal clinically important decreased physical health was observed in 12% of patients aged <65 years, 16% of patients aged 65-79 years, and 22% of patients aged ≥80 years (P = .023). A decreased mental health was observed in 15% of patients aged <65 years, 22% of patients aged 65-79 years, and 24% aged ≥80 years (P = .030). Older age and a greater physical and mental score at baseline were associated with a decreased physical and mental quality of life (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients surviving surgical aortic valve replacement on average improve in physical and mental quality of life; nonetheless, with increasing age patients are at higher risk of experiencing a deterioration.

Quality of life after coronary bypass: a multicentre study of routinely collected health data in the Netherlands†.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, our aim was to explore how coronary artery bypass grafting affects quality of life, and how this varies with age, particularly with patients at risk of deterioration. METHODS: In a retrospective, multicentre cohort study, patients with isolated coronary artery bypass grafting and electively operated between January 2011 and January 2015 with pre- and postoperative quality-of-life data were included. Patients were classified into 3 age groups: <65, 65-79 and ≥80 years. Quality of life was measured up to 1-year follow-up using the Short Form-12 or the Short Form-36 health survey. A multivariable, linear regression analysis, with an adjustment for confounders, was used to evaluate the association between age and quality of life. RESULTS: A total of 2606 patients were included in this study. Upon one-year of follow-up, the mean physical health of patients increased from 54 at baseline to 68, and mental health increased from 60 to 67. We observed decreased mental health in 20% of patients aged <65 years, 20% of patients aged 65-79 years and 29% of patients aged ≥80 years (P = 0.039). In this study, age was not associated with a lower physical or mental component score (P = 0.054 and P = 0.13, respectively). Independent risk factors for a decrease in quality of life consist of a better physical and mental score at baseline (P < 0.001) and a reduced left ventricular function (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Most patients experience a relevant increase in physical and mental quality of life, but a proportion of patients aged ≥80 years undergo significant deterioration in mental health.

Antithrombotic therapy after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement: ACTION Registry survey results.

AIMS: A variety of antithrombotic regimens have been described for the early postoperative period after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement (AVR). This study reviews antithrombotic practice for patients undergoing bioprosthetic AVR with or without coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) amongst the centers participating in the ACTION (Anticoagulation Treatment Influence on Postoperative Patients) Registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: An antithrombotic therapy questionnaire was answered by the 49 centers participating in the ACTION Registry located in Europe, Middle East, Canada and Asia. The 43% of centers prescribe vitamin K antagonist (VKA), 20% prescribe VKA and acetyl salicylic acid (ASA), 33% prescribe only ASA and 4% do not prescribe any therapy after bioprosthetic AVR. For patients undergoing bioprosthetic AVR and CABG 39% of the centers prescribe VKA and ASA, 37% prescribe VKA and 24% prescribe ASA. After the first three postoperative months following bioprosthetic AVR, 61% of the centers prescribe only ASA, while 39% do not prescribe any therapy. Patients with bioprosthetic AVR and CABG receive ASA in 90% centers, in 2% centers VKA and ASA, and 8% centers do not prescribe any antithrombotic. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that, despite guidelines published by several professional societies, medical practice for the prevention of thrombotic events early after bioprosthetic AVR varies widely among cardiac surgical centers.

Cardiac tamponade: an unusual, lifethreatening complication after transhiatal resection of the esophagus.

Transhiatal resection for carcinoma of the distal esophagus is associated with relative high morbidity and mortality. We present a rare case of cardiac tamponade after transhiatal esophagectomy for which emergency sternotomy was performed. Probably the retraction of the heart during exploration of the mediastinum caused a laceration of an epicardial vein. Although very rare, cardiac tamponade should be considered when hemodynamic instability during or after transhiatal esophagectomy occurs.

Predictive models for thoracic aorta surgery. Is the Euroscore the optimal risk model in the Netherlands?

Prediction models do not optimally perform in the case of aorta surgery. We tried to define models that predict intensive care death for patients who underwent thoracic aorta surgery in the Netherlands. Therefore, we used data of 1290 patients who underwent interventions on the thoracic aorta from 1997 to 2002 which were prospectively collected in seven centers. One outcome was examined: intensive care death. Predicting models were made by multiple logistic regression analysis. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was used to study the discriminatory abilities of these models. We compared the models with the Euroscore. Eleven percent of the patients died during operation or on intensive care. Age, creatinine level >/=150 mumol/l, poor left ventricular ejection fraction and urgent indication were most related with intensive care-death. Prolonged extracorporal circulation and deep hypothermia were also of importance in the peri-operative model. The models performed better than the Euroscore. We conclude that the developed models perform relatively well in discriminating patients with respect to intensive care-death and even better than the Euroscore.