The influence of previous percutaneous coronary intervention in patients undergoing off-pump oronary artery bypass grafting

Background: The aim of the present study was to compare the early outcomes of patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) with and without previous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).&Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 545 patients who underwent first-time isolated OPCAB from September 2004 to June 2007. Overall, 154 had previous PCIs, including 99 with stents. The number of diseased vessels was higher in patients without a PCI than in those with a PCI (2.8 vs. 2.7; p = 0.0311). Postoperative angiography was performed to assess the graft patency in 430 patients (78.9%). Results: The number of anastomoses per patient was lower in PCI patients than in non-PCI patients (3.8 vs. 4.2; p = 0.0066). The operative mortality rates did not differ between these groups (0% vs. 1.8%; p = 0.1995); neither did the major morbidity rates. Similar results were obtained for the comparison of patients with stents and patients without PCIs. There was no significant difference in the graft patency rates between PCI patients and non-PCI patients (97.1% vs. 97.9%; p = 0.4976). Conclusions: A previous PCI is not a predictor of early morbidity or mortality in patients undergoing OPCAB. Furthermore, the graft patency is not affected by a previous PCI.