Changing profile of patients undergoing redo-coronary artery surgery

Objective: To outline the changes of the patient population undergoing redo-coronary artery bypass surgery (RECABG). Methods: Preoperative data of 582 first RECABGs, January 1987-June 2000 were analyzed. Group A: 1987-1991 (n = 193); group B: 1992-1995 (n = 20 1); and group C: 1996-June 2000 (n = 188). Results: These 582 RECABGs represent about 8.5% of the performed bypass surgeries during this period. Mean age (P = <0.001), percentage of patients with kidney disease (P = 0.001), a preoperative PTCA (P < 0.001) increased. Significant more elective operations (P < 0.001) and lesser urgent operations (P = 0.001) were performed in group C. There is a significant different distribution of vessel disease over the three periods (P = 0.04). Significant more patients had a patent IMA graft (P < 0.001). The angina-free period after CABG (P < 0.001), the time period between both operations (P < 0.001) and the period between the new onset of angina and the RECABG (P = 0.012) increased significantly. Despite the importance of progression of atherosclerosis of any sort decrease significantly (P < 0.001) over the whole study, there is a significant increase of patients reoperated for isolated progression of the disease in the native coronary arteries (P < 0.001) in group, C. The impact of late GF was not different for the total group (P = 0.82), however, the percentage of RECABGs for isolated late GF increased significantly between group A and B (P < 0.001) but there was a decrease from B to C, however, not significant (P = 0.067). Conclusion: During the past few years there is a trend in RECABG of older patients, with more coexisting diseases. There are an increasing number of patients with patent arterial grafts, an increase of the event-free period after the CABG, the period between the CABG and RECABG and of the time period between the onset of new angina and the RECABG. Although the impact of atherosclerosis, as angiographic indication, decreased over the total group, there is the significant increase of the percentage of patients reoperated because of isolated progression of atherosclerosis in the native coronary arteries. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.