The epidemiology of coronary artery bypass surgery in a community hospital

During the last decades, the increased number of percutaneous interventions procedures causes a significant change in the profile of patients referred to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We aimed to study changes in patients' characteristics and procedural outcomes of patients referred to CABG in a community hospital during the first 15 years of the millennium. A historical cohort study of all patients who underwent CABG in Cape Cod Hospital was performed. The period was divided into 2 sub-periods, 2000 to 2008 and 2009 to 2014. Patients' characteristics and procedure outcomes were compared. Data on age, sex, comorbidities, Society of Thoracic Surgery risk scores and surgical adverse outcomes (stroke, coma, and 30-days mortality) were collected. During the study period, 1108 patients underwent CABG; 612 were operated before 2009 and 496 after. Age and sex were similar in the 2 periods. The patients in the later period presented lower risk for mortality and stroke (P<.001). Diabetes (DM) was more common in the later period (P<.001) while peripheral vascular disease (PVD) (P<.001) and left main disease (LM) (P=.017) were more common in the earlier period. Mortality rates were similar between the 2 periods. Post-operative stroke (1.8%) and coma (0.8%) were presented only in the later period. In conclusion, a significant change in CABG patients' characteristics was observed. In conclusion, patients in the later period had lower risk score and were more likely to present with DM and less with PVD and LM. Despite the lower risk, the mortality rate was similar.