Outcomes of long left coronary endarterectomy in patients with diffuse coronary artery disease

Abstract

Aim: Historically the outcome of left coronary artery endarterectomy (LCAE) has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality when surgeons performed it with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We aim to review outcomes after open LCAE-CABG in patients managed with aggressive dual antiplatelet therapy.Methods: From 1999 to 2007 open LCAE with CABG was performed in 87 patients. We compared the short and long-terms outcomes of 75 propensity-matched conventional CABG patients. Both groups were operated on by a single surgeon.Results: Sixty-six percent (66%; n = 58/87) of LCAE group had diffuse atheroma in Left anterior descending artery (LAD); 31% (n = 27/87) involved both LAD and branches of the circumflex artery (Cx); 3%; (n = 3/87) involved the Cx in isolation. Cross clamp time (43.29 vs. 59.04, P = 0.019) and bypass time (57.29 vs. 74.04, P = 0.007) were significantly higher in the LCAE group. There was no significant difference in early (1% vs. 1.3%) and late mortality (4% vs. 4.5% at 10 years). The hospital length of stay (5.58 vs. 6.67, P = 0.03), was higher in the LACE group when compared with the CABG group. The freedom from angina and long-term survival were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion:Patients undergoing CABG with Left-sided coronary endarterectomy had increased cross-clamp and bypass times with prolonged stay in hospital and increased blood transfusion rates. The mortality, morbidity, longterm survival and freedom from angina are not different when compared to CABG alone. The use of retrograde blood cardioplegia and aggressive antiplatelets may have contributed to the excellent outcome.