Predicting early mortality following single-stage coronary artery or
valve surgery and carotid endarterectomy
Abstract
Background: Surgical management of coexisting cardiac disease
and extra-cranial carotid artery disease is a controversial area of
debate. Thus, in this challenging scenario, risk stratification may play
a key role in surgical decision making. Aim: To report the
results of single stage coronary/valve surgery (CVS) and carotid
endarterectomy (CEA), and to identify predictive factors associated with
30-day mortality. Methods: This was a multicenter,
retrospective study of prospectively maintained data from three academic
tertiary referral hospitals. For this study, only patients treated with
single stage CVS, meaning coronary artery bypass surgery or valve
surgery, and CEA between March 1, 2000 and March 30 ,
2020, were included. Primary outcome measure of interest was 30-day
mortality. Secondary outcomes were neurologic events rate, and a
composite endpoint of postoperative stroke/death rate. Results:
During the study period, there were 386 patients who underwent the
following procedures: CEA with isolated coronary-artery bypass graft in
243 (63%) cases, with isolated valve surgery in 40 (10.4%), and
combination of coronary artery bypass grafting and valve surgery in 103
(26.7%). Postoperative neurologic event rate was 2.6% (n = 10) which
includes 5 (1.3%) TIAs and 5 (1.3%) strokes (major n = 3, minor n =
2). The 30-day mortality rate was 3.9% (n = 15). Predictors of 30-day
mortality included preoperative left heart insufficiency (OR: 5.44,
95%CI: 1.63-18.17, p = 0.006), and postoperative stroke (OR:
197.11, 95%CI: 18.28-2124.93, p < 0.001). No predictor
for postoperative stroke and for composite endpoint was identified.
Conclusions: Considering that postoperative stroke rate and
mortality was acceptably low, single stage approach is an effective
option in such selected high-risk patients.