IJCS | Volume 31, Nº5, September / October 2018

DOI: 10.5935/2359-4802.20180055 544 BRIEF COMMUNICATION International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences. 2018;31(5)544-547 Mailing Address: Turgut Karabag Bulent Ecevit Universitesi - İncivez Mahallesi, Üniversite Cd., Postal Code: 67100 Merkez/Zonguldak Merkez/Zonguldak - Turkey E-mail: turgutkarabag@yahoo.com The Influence of Comorbid Conditions on Graft Stenosis in Patients with Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Operation Turgut Karabag, Belma Kalayci, Bahar Sahin, Elif Coskun, Mustafa Umut Somuncu, Mustafa Ozan Cakir Bulent Ecevit University, Kozlu/Zonguldak - Turkey Manuscript received October 18, 2017; revised manuscript March 06, 2018; accepted March 13, 2018. CoronaryArteryDisease;MyocardialRevascularization; Coronary Stenosis; Comorbidity; Vascular Patency. Keywords Abstract The primary goal of coronary artery bypass grafting is to achieve complete revascularization with grafts that will remain patent throughout the patient’s lifetime. This study investigated the association between bypass graft patency and comorbidity burden determined by Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) among patients with previous bypass operation who underwent a control angiography. One-hundred and two patients who had undergone CABG in the past were included to the study. Critical stenosis was defined as 50% or greater coronary luminal obstruction of any coronary vessel or its lateral branch. Patients were divided into 2 groups group 1; critical graft stenosis; (54 pts; 41M, mean age 66.5 ± 7.8 years), group 2; graft patent (48 pts; 31M, mean age; 65.9 ± 8.2 years). Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) and modified CCI scores were used for detecting comorbidities. The comparison of continuous variables between the control and critical CAD groups was performed by the independent sample test. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The two groups were statistically similar with respect to demographic properties, time since bypass operation, cardiovascular risk factors, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, medications used, complete blood counts parameters, and lipid profiles. CCI was significantly higher in Group 1 compared to Group 2 (7.14 ± 2.02 vs 4.72 ± 1.58; p < 0.001). Modified CCI scores were also higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 (6.14 ± 2.02 vs 3.73 ± 1.60; p < 0.001). Graft occlusion was more common among patients with a high comorbidity burden. CCI scoring system may be helpful for determining patients at increased risk at both the preoperative and postoperative periods. Introduction Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) operation remains an important procedure despite advances in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. 1 The ultimate goal of CABG is to ensure the long-term symptom-free patency of bypass grafts. 2 It is known that graft patency is dependent on several factors such as operative factors, graft selection, vessel diameter, postoperative medication use, and patient compliance. 3 Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) is a global index obtained from a cohort of general medical patients that is widely used to detect comorbidities among various populations. 4 This study investigated the association between bypass graft patency and comorbidity burden determined by CCI in patients with previous bypass operation who underwent a control angiography procedure for any reason. Methodology One hundred and two patients with a history of CABG after presenting with acute coronary syndrome or who underwent coronary angiography for any reason were included in the study (72 M, 30 F; mean age 66.2 ± 7.9 years). Coronary angiography was performed in all patients due to stable angina pectoris (SAP), unstable angina pectoris (UAP), non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). A monoplane angiography system (Artis Zee, Siemens Erlangen, Germany) was used for all coronary angiography procedures. Critical stenoses were