Experiences collected in more than 2,300 diabetics undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: patients with a specific risk profile

Background The objective of this paper was to analyze demographic and clinical characteristics of diabetic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting on the basis of a significant number of cases. Methods The data of 8,195 patients who have undergone coronary bypass operations between 1996 and 2003 were analyzed. Non-diabetic patients (no DM), oral treated diabetics (DM oral) and insulin-treated diabetics (DM insulin) were compared in terms of their pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative characteristics. The statistical analyses were performed with the support of SPSS 11.5 under application of chi-square and student-t tests. Results In cardiosurgery, diabetics differ in various ways from non-diabetic patients. They show a significantly higher prevalence of the known cardiovascular risk factors such as raised body mass index, age and hypertension. Furthermore they present a higher prevalence of vascular comorbidity such as peripheral vascular disease and carotid disease. At the postoperative stage, cerebral dysfunction occurred more often among the diabetic patients (no DM 5.2% vs. DM oral 7.3% vs. DM insulin 10.5%; p < 0.05), they suffered from apoplexies more frequently (no DM 1.9% vs. DM oral 2.1% vs. DM insulin 3.2%; p < 0.05), and they required re-intubation more frequently (no DM 2.6% vs. DM oral 3.1% vs. DM insulin 5.6%; p < 0.05). Peri-operative mortality was highest in the group of insulin-treated diabetics (no DM 1.1% vs. DM oral 1.6% vs. DM insulin 1.8%; p < 0.05). Conclusion In coronary surgery, diabetic patients represent an especially challenging patient group with an independent risk profile, who require specific consideration as far as the selection of the operative approach, on, one hand, and the post-operative follow-up, on the other hand, are concerned.