Clinical outcome of arterial myocardial revascularization using bilateral internal thoracic arteries in diabetic patients: a single centre experience.

OBJECTIVES: The use of bilateral internal thoracic arteries (BITAs) grafting has been documented to be advantageous over left internal thoracic artery (LITA) grafting. It has been shown to significantly improve clinical outcomes and increase long-term survival in patients with diabetes. However, harvesting BITAs may result in a greater risk of superficial wound infection (SWI) or deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) and cardiovascular complications (major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events; MACCE) in such a patient group. The objective of this study was to compare the incidence of SWI or DSWI and cardiovascular events in a series of isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients who underwent BITA grafting vs LITA grafting.

METHODS: A total of 147 patients with coronary artery disease and diabetes underwent isolated CABG at John Paul II Hospital. Of these, 38 procedures were performed using BITA grafting and 109 with LITA-saphenous vein grafting.

RESULTS: MACCE were similar in bilateral groups (7.9%--BITA group and 9.2%--LITA group). No significant difference was found in mortality and length of stay between bilateral groups. The MACCE risk factor was age. The incidence of SWI and DSWI and sternal re-fixation did not differ between the BITA or LITA groups (5.2 vs 9.1%, 5.2 vs 7.3% and 5.2 vs 6.4%). The risk factors for DSWI were age (odds ratio 3.47, P = 0.032 for every 10 years) and body mass index >30 kg/m(2).

CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative complications do not increase with the use of BITAs in this group of diabetic patients. There are no statistically significant differences in the number of superficial or deep wound infections or number of sternal resuturing between the BITA and LITA groups.