Outcome of patients with low ejection fraction undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: renal function and mortality after 3.8 years.

BACKGROUND: There are few data regarding medium-term outcome of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with severe left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction, particularly in the modern era, and even less assessing preoperative factors that might identify patients at highest risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Three hundred seventy-nine consecutive patients with LV ejection fraction < or = 35%, who underwent isolated first CABG between 1995 and 1999 were studied. Potential preoperative and perioperative predictors of outcome were recorded and patients followed-up for a median of 3.8 years. The primary study end-point was all-cause mortality. The 30-day, 1-year, and 3-year survival rates were 94.5%, 88%, and 81%, respectively. The independent predictors of mortality were preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (hazard ratio [HR], 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97 to 0.99 per mL/min/1.73 m2; P<0.001) and age (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.06 per year; P=0.005).

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with significant LV systolic dysfunction undergoing isolated CABG using contemporary techniques have a good medium-term survival. Renal dysfunction is the strongest independent predictor of mortality.