ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Women have more risk factors for coronary bypass graft surgery such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, heart failure and shorter height (less body surface), compared with men. However, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting demonstrates more benefits in females because of lower mortality, fewer postoperative respiratory complications, shorter hospital stay and improved outcome index. METHODS: We designed a retrospective study from the clinical files of females who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery in our hospital. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between genders in mean age, body surface area, incidence of high blood pressure, unstable angina, left main coronary artery disease or its equivalent, urgent and emergency surgery in relation to preoperative variables. According to the operative variables, we observed significant differences only in incomplete coronary artery bypass grafting. Postoperatively, differences were found in the use of inotropic support, late extubation (>24 h), wound infections and postoperative death. Those differences were evident in the incidence of major and minor adverse outcomes, resulting in major morbidity and mortality in women (p = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Higher morbidity and mortality are shown in women than in men after analyzing major and minor adverse outcomes that were more frequent in women.