Objective: We noted an increasing risk profile of patients undergoing reope
rative coronary surgery, We evaluated the risk compared with primary proced
ures, our results over a 16-year span, and the predictors of hospital outco
mes after redo surgery,
Methods: We analyzed 20,614 patients undergoing isolated coronary surgery a
t our institution from 1982 to 1997. Of these, 1230 (6.0%) were undergoing
reoperation. Independent predictors of outcomes were identified by multivar
iable regression.
Results: The prevalence of reoperation peaked in 1994 at 8.2%. Patients und
ergoing reoperation were more likely to be male, to have left ventricular d
ysfunction and worse symptoms, and to require an urgent operation than pati
ents undergoing a primary operation (P < .0001). Perioperative myocardial i
nfarctions (3.7% vs 7.4%), low-output syndrome (9.0% vs 24.0%), and death (
2.4% vs 6.8%) were more common in patients undergoing reoperation (all P <
.0001). Over the years, the risk profile of patients undergoing reoperation
increased, Age, left ventricular dysfunction, severity of symptoms, extent
of coronary artery disease, left main stenosis, and requirement for urgent
or emergency operations increased with time (P < .05). However, mortality,
myocardial infarction, and low-output syndrome have remained constant. The
independent predictors of mortality after reoperative surgery were increas
ed age, greater Canadian Cardiovascular Society symptom class, earlier year
of operation, and greater left ventricular dysfunction. After 1990, analys
is of an expanded data set also identified peripheral vascular disease and
failure to use retrograde cardioplegia as predictors of mortality.
Conclusions: Improving results of reoperative surgery have been offset by a
n increasing patient risk profile. Meticulous operative technique and retro
grade cardioplegia may permit good results in these high-risk patients.