Immediate Outcomes of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients With Multifocal Atherosclerosis: Gender Differences

Aim. To assess the impact of presence of multifocal atherosclerosis (MFA) and gender differences on immediate outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). Material and methods. Medical records of patients with MFA, who underwent elective CABG (n=764, 655 men, 109 women) were reviewed retrospectively. Results. Women were older (p<0.001), and more often were overweight (p<0.001), had diabetes (p<0.001), high angina functional class (p=0.012) and congestive heart failure (p=0.002). Cigarette smoking was more common among men. Men more often had reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (p<0.001). Three-vessel coronary artery disease prevailed among women (p=0.080). Rate of hemodynamically significant carotid stenosis was higher among women (p=0.010), whereas that of peripheral artery disease among men (p=0.001). Total number of perioperative complications was 48.8% among women and 53.0% among men (p=0.399). According to multivariate analysis, history of CABG was associated with increased risk of perioperative complications (p=0.034), and combined involvement of left main coronary artery (LMCA) and three coronary arteries - with in-hospital mortality (p=0.003). Conclusion. There were no gender differences in the incidence of perioperative complications. Women more often had carotid lesions, men lesions in arteries of lower limbs. Women had more risk factors (other than smoking) what could explain high prevalence of three-vessel disease as well as more severe coronary insufficiency and heart failure. Regardless of patient's gender and presence of MFA history of previous CABG and presence of combined LMCA and three coronary arteries involvement increased risk of perioperative complications and in-hospital mortality, respectively.