The Impact of Dexmedetomidine Infusion in Sparing Morphine Consumption in Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Purpose. Recovery from off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) has been reported to be more advantageous than conventional coronary artery bypass grafting with regard to both hospital and intensive care unit length of stay. Dexmedetomidine is a selective alpha-2 agonist that has been used successfully as an adjunct to narcotics in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of dexmedetomidine on the recovery, total narcotic consumption, and total hospital and intensive care unit length of stay in patients undergoing OPCAB. Methods. The recovery, hospital and intensive care unit length of stay, as well as total morphine consumption of patients receiving dexmedetomidine infusion (0.5 mu g/kg/h; dexmedetomidine group), after induction of general anesthesia, were compared with those receiving placebo (saline group). Results. The duration of intubation of patients in the dexmedetomidine group was significantly shorter than in the control group (289 +/- 44 minutes in the dexmedetomidine group vs 530 +/- 119 minutes in the control group). The total hospital and intensive care unit length of stay were significantly shorter in the dexmedetomidine group (P < .05). Also, total fentanyl and morphine consumptions were lower in the dexmedetomidine group than in the control group (P < .05). Conclusion. Our study showed that dexmedetomidine might be an effective adjuvant in reducing both total hospital and intensive care unit length of stay in patients undergoing OPCAB. Dexmedetomidine might play a role in reducing total morphine and fentanyl consumption in OPCAB.