Preoperative angiography-derived fractional flow reserve may predict coronary artery bypass grafting occlusion and disease progression.

Background: Graft occlusion after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been associated with competitive flow of native coronary arteries.

Objectives: To assess with coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) graft occlusion and coronary artery disease (CAD) progression of native vessels after CABG and their relationship with angiography-derived vessel fractional flow reserve (vFFR) performed before surgery.

Methods: Between 2006 and 2018, serial vFFR analyses were obtained before CABG in each major native coronary vessel from two institutions. All patients underwent follow-up CCTA.

Results: In 171 consecutive patients, serial preoperative angiograms were suitable for vFFR analysis of 298 grafted and 59 nongrafted vessels. Median time between CABG and CCTA was 2.1 years. Preoperative vFFR was assessed in 131 left anterior descending artery (LAD), 132 left circumflex artery (LCX) and 94 right coronary aretry (RCA) and was less than 0.80 in 255 of 298 bypassed vessels. Graft occlusion was observed at CCTA in 28 of 298 grafts. The median preoperative vFFR value of native coronaries was higher in occluded compared with patent grafts (0.75 vs. 0.60, P < 0.001) and was associated with graft. The best vFFR cut-off to predict graft occlusion was 0.67. Progression of CAD was higher in grafted than in nongrafted vessels (89.6 vs. 47.5%, P < 0.001). Pre-CABG vFFR predicted disease progression of grafted native vessels (AUC = 0.83).

Conclusion: Preoperative vFFR derived from invasive coronary angiography was able to predict graft occlusion and CAD progression of grafted coronary arteries.