Postoperative Tachyarrhythmias: On-Pump versus Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Objective. Tachyarrhythmias, after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, develop in 11%–40% of patients. Surgery technique (on-pump or off-pump) might affect incidence of post-CABG tachyarrhythmias. Methods. The study included 60 patients undergoing CABG (≥2 grafts) with left ventricle ejection fraction (LV EF) >40%. Patients were divided into two groups equally: group A (on-pump) and group B (off-pump). Patients were subjected to electrocardiographic monitoring (7 days postoperatively), transthoracic echocardiography, with recording of surgical details and complications. Results. Data collected between December 2012 and May 2013 showed no significant difference between two groups regarding incidence of postoperative tachyarrhythmias with statistically significant higher incidence of supraventricular tachycardia in group B () and a trend towards higher incidence of atrial fibrillation in group A. Patients who developed postoperative tachyarrhythmias in group A showed higher prevalence of family history of coronary artery disease and higher incidence of postoperative chest infections (), while those in group B showed higher mean LV EF (pre- and postoperatively) (). Data were statistically described in terms of mean ± standard deviation. Comparison of numerical and categorical variables was done using Student’s - and Chi-square tests, respectively. Conclusion. Adopting off-pump CABG technique is not associated with less incidence of post-operative tachyarrhythmias, as compared to on-pump technique.