Intra-operative quality assessment of coronary artery bypass grafts.

Early coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) failure is a troubling complication that may result in a wide range of problems, including refractory angina, myocardial infarction, low cardiac output, arrhythmia, and fatal heart failure. Early graft failures are related to poor quality and size of the distal native vascular bed, coagulation abnormalities, or technical problems involving the graft conduits and anastomoses. Unfortunately, graft failure is difficult to detect during surgery by visual assessment, palpation, or conventional monitoring.

In-hospital outcomes of off-pump versus on-pump coronary artery bypass procedures: a multicenter experience.

Background: Concern about the possible adverse effects of the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) pump and advances in retractors and operative techniques to access all coronary segments have resulted in increased interest in off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) procedures. Four of the Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group centers initiated OPCAB programs in 1998. We compared the preoperative risk profiles and in-hospital outcomes of patients done off-pump with those done by conventional coronary artery bypass (CCAB) with CPB.

Survival of patients with diabetes and multivessel coronary artery disease after surgical or percutaneous coronary revascularization: results of a large regional prospective study. Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group.

Objectives: We sought to assess survival among patients with diabetes and multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG).

Background: The Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI) demonstrated that diabetics with MVD survive longer after initial CABG than after initial PCI. Other randomized trials or observational databases have not conclusively reproduced this result.

Multivariate prediction of in-hospital mortality associated with coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group.

Background: A prospective regional study was conducted to identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality among patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). A prediction rule was developed and validated based on the data collected.

Methods And Results: Data from 3,055 patients were collected from five clinical centers between July 1, 1987, and April 15, 1989.

A regional prospective study of in-hospital mortality associated with coronary artery bypass grafting. The Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group.

Objective: A prospective regional study was conducted to determine if the observed differences in in-hospital mortality rates associated with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are solely the result of differences in patient case mix. DESIGN-Regional prospective cohort study. Data including patient demographic and historical data, body surface area, cardiac catheterization results, priority of surgery, comorbidity, and status at hospital discharge were collected.