ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In this study, postoperative cardiac functions were observed in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery following preoperative administration of the anti-ischemic drug trimetazidine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included a total of 50 CABG patients; 25 were administered with trimetazidine preoperatively and 25 did not receive trimetazidine. A retrospective evaluation was made of the parameters of age, gender, preoperative echocardiography (ECHO) results, cross-clamping durations, postoperative inotropic requirements, and postoperative 4th-h troponin-I levels and the groups were compared. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference determined between the 2 groups in respect of the data of age, gender, comorbidity, preoperative ECHO signs [(ejection fraction (EF), left ventricle end systolic diameter (lvsd), left ventricle end diastolic diameter (lvdd), left atrium diameter (LA), and intraventricular septum thickness (IVS)], inotropic requirements, and postoperative troponin-I levels. In the control group, a positive correlation was determined between postoperative troponin-I levels and DM (r: 0.597, p: 0.002). There was no correlation determined in the trimetazidine group (r:-0.042, p: 0.844). CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated a positive correlation between postoperative troponin-I levels and DM in the group not administered with trimetazidine. There was no such correlation determined in the group administered with trimetazidine. This result may suggest that DM may increase troponin-I levels in the absence of trimetazidine, and therefore that the drug may be cardioprotective in such cases. Further studies on more extensive patient populations are required to confirm these results.
