Coronary artery bypass surgery in Trinidad: morbidity and mortality - Poster abstract

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in Trinidad influenced morbidity and mortality. METHOD: Retrospective review of the demographic, clinical and angiographic data of the first 205 consecutive CABG operations performed by Caribbean Heart Care at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Trinidad, between November 1993 and December 1997. RESULTS: The mean age was 59 ñ 10 years and 74 percent were males. The average time interval between angiography and surgery was 2.3 months. At the time of angiography, 69 percent of patients had class 3 or 4 angina (CCS). The mean ejection fraction was 63 ñ 13 percent. Many patients (64 percent) had severe diffuse disease on angiography. The in-hospital mortality was 8/205 (3.9 percent). Follow-up data were obtained for 189/205 (92 percent). The duration of follow-up ranged from 1 to 5 years. During the follow-up period, 7/189 patients. (3.4 percent) died. Angina severity before and after surgery was determined in 174 surviving patients. Angina severity was reduced from a mean CCS score of 2.61 ñ 0.95 before CABG to 1.22 ñ 0.55 after CABG (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Overal 4-year mortality compared favourably with data from international studies. Amongst survivors, quality of life improved as evidenced by the reduction in the mean angina score.(AU)