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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">abc</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">Arq. Bras. Cardiol.</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="ppub">0066-782X</issn>
      <issn pub-type="epub">1678-4170</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia - SBC</publisher-name>
        <publisher-loc>S&#227;o Paulo, SP, Brazil</publisher-loc>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id" specific-use="scielo-v3">SLYRTjhKJMQFFMp5q5XLHfm</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="other">00008</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id" specific-use="scielo-v2">S0066-782X2005000100008</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id" specific-use="scielo-v1">S0066-782X(05)08400108</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1590/S0066-782X2005000100008</article-id>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Artigos Originais</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea em pacientes acima de 75 anos: an&#225;lise dos resultados imediatos</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Milani</surname>
            <given-names>Rodrigo</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Brofman</surname>
            <given-names>Paulo</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Varela</surname>
            <given-names>Alexandre</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Souza</surname>
            <given-names>Jose Augusto</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Guimar&#227;es</surname>
            <given-names>Maximiliano</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Pantarolli</surname>
            <given-names>Rafael</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Barbosa</surname>
            <given-names>Alexandre</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Barbosa</surname>
            <given-names>Laura</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Sandri</surname>
            <given-names>Thaise</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Emed</surname>
            <given-names>Luiz Gustavo</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Ceccon</surname>
            <given-names>Fernanda</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Maia</surname>
            <given-names>Francisco</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <aff id="aff01">
        <institution content-type="orgname">Pontif&#237;cia Universidade Cat&#243;lica do Paran&#225;</institution>
        <institution content-type="orgdiv1">Servi&#231;o de Cirurgia Cardiovascular da Alian&#231;a Sa&#250;de </institution>
      </aff>
      <pub-date date-type="collection" publication-format="electronic">
        <month>01</month>
        <year>2005</year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>84</volume>
      <issue>1</issue>
      <fpage>34</fpage>
      <lpage>37</lpage>
      <history>
        <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>19</day>
          <month>05</month>
          <year>2004</year>
        </date>
        <date date-type="received">
          <day>26</day>
          <month>03</month>
          <year>2003</year>
        </date>
      </history>
      <permissions>
        <license license-type="open-access" xlink:href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" xml:lang="en">
          <license-p>This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.</license-p>
        </license>
      </permissions>
      <abstract>
        <p>OBJETIVO: Analisar os resultados imediatos da opera&#231;&#227;o para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea em pacientes acima de 75 anos. M&#201;TODOS: De janeiro 2001 a dezembro 2003, 193 pacientes com idade variando de 75 a 94 anos, correspondendo a 100% das opera&#231;&#245;es coronarianas realizadas em pacientes acima de 75 anos, sendo 121 homens e 72 mulheres, foram submetidos a opera&#231;&#227;o para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea e analisados, retrospectivamente, os dados de interna&#231;&#227;o dos pacientes. RESULTADOS: A hipertens&#227;o arterial esteve presente em 174 (90%), seguida de dislipidemia em 115 (59%), tabagismo em 89 (46%) e diabetes em 57 (29%), e 96 (49,7%) com antecedente de infarto do mioc&#225;rdio. Destes, 53 (27,4%) tinham apresentado evento isqu&#234;mico agudo em um per&#237;odo &lt; 30 dias da data da opera&#231;&#227;o. Tinham les&#245;es obstrutivas cr&#237;ticas em tr&#234;s ou mais vasos coronarianos 156 (80,95%) pacientes, enquanto 30 (15%) apresentavam obstru&#231;&#227;o do tronco da coron&#225;ria esquerda e 30 (15%) apresentavam fra&#231;&#227;o de eje&#231;&#227;o &lt; 30%. A pontua&#231;&#227;o obtida atrav&#233;s do EUROSCORE variou de 3 a 18, com uma mortalidade esperada para o grupo de 7,54&#177;2,69%. O n&#250;mero total de anastomoses distais foi de 639. Houve 7 (3,62%) &#243;bitos, tr&#234;s por broncopneumonia, um por mediastinite, um por causas metab&#243;licas, uma morte s&#250;bita ap&#243;s refixa&#231;&#227;o de deisc&#234;ncia de esterno e um choque cardiog&#234;nico. Reopera&#231;&#227;o por sangramento, reintuba&#231;&#227;o orotraqueal e ventila&#231;&#227;o mec&#226;nica prolongada foram fatores associados com aumento da mortalidade. CONCLUS&#195;O: A opera&#231;&#227;o adotada para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea foi associada &#224; baixa mortalidade, baixo &#237;ndice de complica&#231;&#245;es e curto per&#237;odo de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o.</p>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group xml:lang="pt" kwd-group-type="author-generated">
        <kwd>revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio</kwd>
        <kwd>circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea</kwd>
        <kwd>idoso</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
      <pub-date publication-format="electronic" date-type="pub">
        <day>14</day>
        <month>02</month>
        <year>2005</year>
      </pub-date>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
  <body>
    <p>
      <bold>ARTIGO ORIGINAL</bold>
    </p>
    <p>Revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea em pacientes acima de 75 anos. An&#225;lise dos resultados imediatos</p>
    <p>Rodrigo Milani; Paulo Brofman; Alexandre Varela; Jose Augusto Souza; Maximiliano Guimar&#227;es; Rafael Pantarolli; Alexandre Barbosa; Laura Barbosa; Thaise Sandri; Luiz Gustavo Emed; Fernanda Ceccon; Francisco Maia </p>
    <p> Curitiba, PR</p>
    <p>Servi&#231;o de Cirurgia Cardiovascular da Alian&#231;a Sa&#250;de - Pontif&#237;cia Universidade Cat&#243;lica do Paran&#225;</p>
    <p>
      <xref ref-type="corresp" rid="back10">Endere&#231;o para correspond&#234;ncia</xref>
    </p>
    <p>
      <bold>RESUMO</bold>
    </p>
    <p><bold>OBJETIVO: </bold>Analisar os resultados imediatos da opera&#231;&#227;o para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea em pacientes acima de 75 anos. </p>
    <p><bold>M&#201;TODOS: </bold>De janeiro 2001 a dezembro 2003, 193 pacientes com idade variando de 75 a 94 anos, correspondendo a 100% das opera&#231;&#245;es coronarianas realizadas em pacientes acima de 75 anos, sendo 121 homens e 72 mulheres, foram submetidos a opera&#231;&#227;o para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea e analisados, retrospectivamente, os dados de interna&#231;&#227;o dos pacientes. </p>
    <p><bold>RESULTADOS: </bold>A hipertens&#227;o arterial esteve presente em 174 (90%), seguida de dislipidemia em 115 (59%), tabagismo em 89 (46%) e diabetes em 57 (29%), e 96 (49,7%) com antecedente de infarto do mioc&#225;rdio. Destes, 53 (27,4%) tinham apresentado evento isqu&#234;mico agudo em um per&#237;odo &lt; 30 dias da data da opera&#231;&#227;o. Tinham les&#245;es obstrutivas cr&#237;ticas em tr&#234;s ou mais vasos coronarianos 156 (80,95%) pacientes, enquanto 30 (15%) apresentavam obstru&#231;&#227;o do tronco da coron&#225;ria esquerda e 30 (15%) apresentavam fra&#231;&#227;o de eje&#231;&#227;o &lt; 30%. A pontua&#231;&#227;o obtida atrav&#233;s do EUROSCORE variou de 3 a 18, com uma mortalidade esperada para o grupo de 7,54&#177;2,69%. O n&#250;mero total de anastomoses distais foi de 639. Houve 7 (3,62%) &#243;bitos, tr&#234;s por broncopneumonia, um por mediastinite, um por causas metab&#243;licas, uma morte s&#250;bita ap&#243;s refixa&#231;&#227;o de deisc&#234;ncia de esterno e um choque cardiog&#234;nico. Reopera&#231;&#227;o por sangramento, reintuba&#231;&#227;o orotraqueal e ventila&#231;&#227;o mec&#226;nica prolongada foram fatores associados com aumento da mortalidade. </p>
    <p><bold>CONCLUS&#195;O: </bold>A opera&#231;&#227;o adotada para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea foi associada &#224; baixa mortalidade, baixo &#237;ndice de complica&#231;&#245;es e curto per&#237;odo de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o.</p>
    <p><bold>Palavras-chave: </bold>revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio, circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea, idoso</p>
    <p>O aumento da popula&#231;&#227;o idosa no Brasil, nos &#250;ltimos anos, levou a um maior n&#250;mero de pacientes acima de 70 anos necessitando de opera&#231;&#227;o para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio. No entanto, a idade avan&#231;ada tem sido considerada, ao longo dos anos, como um fator de risco para morbi-mortalidade em opera&#231;&#245;es coronarianas<sup>1,2</sup>. Os recentes avan&#231;os nas opera&#231;&#245;es para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea, t&#233;cnica preconizada por Buffolo e cols.<sup>3</sup> e Benetti<sup>4</sup> no in&#237;cio da d&#233;cada de 80, ocasionou um grande interesse por este tipo de opera&#231;&#227;o, especialmente em pacientes de alto risco<sup>5-7</sup>.</p>
    <p>Analisamos, retrospectivamente, os resultados imediatos da opera&#231;&#227;o para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea em pacientes acima de 75 anos.</p>
    <p>
      <bold>M&#233;todos</bold>
    </p>
    <p>Os dados do presente estudo foram coletados, retrospectivamente de acordo com o banco de dados utilizado pela <italic>Society for Thoracic Surgery</italic><sup>8</sup> e pelo &#237;ndice de risco desenvolvido pela <italic>European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery</italic>, o EUROSCORE<sup>9,10</sup>, e analisados todos os pacientes acima de 75 anos submetidos a opera&#231;&#227;o coronariana sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea, operados entre janeiro de 2001 e dezembro de 2003.</p>
    <p>A t&#233;cnica anest&#233;sica foi estandartizada e previamente descrita<sup>11</sup>. Ap&#243;s feita a indu&#231;&#227;o anest&#233;sica e obtidos os enxertos<sup>11</sup>, os pacientes foram heparinizados com uma dose de 2,5 mg/kg e aplicado um ponto com fio 2-0 fixado a fita de algod&#227;o com 3 cm de largura na deflex&#227;o peric&#225;rdica, entre a veia cava inferior e a veia pulmonar direita inferior<sup>12</sup>, para exposi&#231;&#227;o completa do cora&#231;&#227;o. As anastomoses distais foram primeiramente feitas com a art&#233;ria abordada ocluida, em sua por&#231;&#227;o proximal &#224; anastomose, com um ponto de fio 4-0. A &#225;rea em que se realizava a anastomose era exposta e fixada com um estabilizador de suc&#231;&#227;o (<italic>Octopuss System, Medtronic Corporation</italic>). Ao t&#233;rmino das anastomoses distais, a press&#227;o arterial sist&#243;lica era mantida em 100 mmHg, a aorta pin&#231;ada parcialmente, as anastomoses proximais confeccionadas e, ao final os 2mg/kg de heparina eram revertidos com sulfato de protamina e a opera&#231;&#227;o terminada. Sempre que poss&#237;vel, o paciente foi acordado na sala de opera&#231;&#245;es e procedeu-se a extuba&#231;&#227;o orotraqueal, sendo em seguida, conduzido &#224; unidade de terapia intensiva onde recebia durante 24h, infus&#227;o continua de nitroglicerina e reposi&#231;&#227;o de eletr&#243;litos. Concentrado de hem&#225;ceas foi administrado sempre que o hemat&#243;crito estivesse abaixo de 30%.</p>
    <p>
      <bold>Resultados</bold>
    </p>
    <p>Um total de 193 pacientes com idade variando de 75 a 94 anos e m&#233;dia de 78,5&#177;3,14 anos foram submetidos &#224; opera&#231;&#227;o para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea, sendo 121 (62,6%) homens e 72 (37,4%) mulheres.</p>
    <p>Quanto a fatores de risco e doen&#231;as associadas (<xref ref-type="table" rid="tab1">tab. I</xref>), 29,5% eram diab&#233;ticos, 49,7% tabagistas, 59,1% apresentavam n&#237;veis elevados de colesterol, 90,1% hipertensos, 4,1% apresentavam doen&#231;as gastrointestinal, 5,1% eram renais cr&#244;nicos em programa de di&#225;lise, 2,0% apresentavam antecedente de acidente vascular cerebral, 15,5% portadores de doen&#231;a pulmonar obstrutiva cr&#244;nica, 15,5% com doen&#231;a vascular perif&#233;rica, 1,5% com bloqueio atrioventricular total e 4,6% com fibrila&#231;&#227;o atrial cr&#244;nica.</p>
    <table-wrap id="tab1">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-84-01-0034-00008-gt01.jpg"/></table-wrap>
    <p>Quanto &#224; classe funcional, 15,5% encontravam-se em classe I, 32,1% em classe II, 27,4% em classe III e 24,8% em classe IV (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig1">fig. 1</xref>). Noventa e seis pacientes (49,7%), tinham antecedentes de infarto do mioc&#225;rdio e 27,4% antecedente de infarto em um per&#237;odo inferior a 30 dias da data da opera&#231;&#227;o. A fra&#231;&#227;o de eje&#231;&#227;o era superior a 50% em 54,5% dos pacientes, entre 30 e 50% em 30% e inferior a 30% em 15,5% (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig2">fig. 2</xref>).</p>
    <fig id="fig1">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-84-01-0034-00008-gf01.jpg"/></fig>
    <fig id="fig2">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-84-01-0034-00008-gf02.jpg"/></fig>
    <p>A cineangiocoronariografia (<xref ref-type="table" rid="tab2">tab. II</xref>), demonstrou les&#245;es em 1 vaso em 3% dos pacientes, 2 vasos em 16% e em tr&#234;s ou mais vasos em 81%. Apresentavam les&#227;o em tronco de coron&#225;ria esquerda 30 (15%) pacientes.</p>
    <table-wrap id="tab2">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-84-01-0034-00008-gt02.jpg"/></table-wrap>
    <p>Com rela&#231;&#227;o a outros antecedentes pr&#233;-operat&#243;rios, 32,1% dos pacientes haviam realizado angioplastia pr&#233;via, 6,2% terapia trombol&#237;tica por infarto agudo do mioc&#225;rdio, 7,7% opera&#231;&#227;o para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio e 1% eram portadores de marcapasso definitivo. No per&#237;odo pr&#233;-operat&#243;rio imediato 31% encontravam-se em uso de nitroglicerina endovenosa para controle de angina, 5,1% estavam usando droga vasoativa devido a hipotens&#227;o importante e 1% utilizava bal&#227;o intra&#243;rtico pr&#233;-operat&#243;rio. Foram operados em car&#225;ter de emerg&#234;ncia 19 (9,8%) pacientes. A pontua&#231;&#227;o obtida no EUROSCORE variou de 3 a 18 pontos, com uma expectativa de mortalidade m&#233;dia de 7,54&#177;2,69%.</p>
    <p>O n&#250;mero total de anastomoses distais foi de 639, com m&#233;dia de 3,26&#177;1,18 por paciente. Em 132 (68,4%) pacientes foi utilizada a art&#233;ria tor&#225;cica interna esquerda e em 38 (19,6%) a art&#233;ria radial. O tempo de ventila&#231;&#227;o mec&#226;nica variou de zero a 216 horas, com m&#233;dia de 3 horas e 45 minutos. Onze (5,6%) pacientes permaneceram em ventila&#231;&#227;o mec&#226;nica por um per&#237;odo superior a 24 horas; 49 (25,3%) foram acordados e extubados na sala de opera&#231;&#227;o; 5 (2,5%) necessitaram de reintuba&#231;&#227;o orotraqueal, nenhum do grupo extubado ao t&#233;rmino da anestesia. Desenvolveram quadro de broncopneumonia 26 (13,4%) pacientes, sendo 6 (54,5%) no grupo que ficou em ventila&#231;&#227;o prolongada e 3 (60%) no grupo que necessitou de reintuba&#231;&#227;o orotraqueal.</p>
    <p>Tr&#234;s (1,5%) pacientes necessitaram de reopera&#231;&#227;o por sangramento. A m&#233;dia de drenagem foi de 420&#177;155,4 ml variando de 50 a 1.450&#177;ml. N&#227;o utilizaram concentrado de hem&#225;ceas 69 (35,7%) pacientes. Houve dois (1%) casos de mediastinite e um caso de deisc&#234;ncia de esterno no 6&#186; p&#243;s-operat&#243;rio, tendo sido o paciente levado imediatamente &#224; refixa&#231;&#227;o. Um (0,5%) paciente desenvolveu quadro de acidente vascular cerebral isqu&#234;mico no 3&#186; p&#243;s-operat&#243;rio, ap&#243;s uma recupera&#231;&#227;o aparentemente normal nos primeiros dias. Apresentaram fibrila&#231;&#227;o atrial aguda no per&#237;odo p&#243;s-operat&#243;rio 43 (22,2%) pacientes, sendo que quatro necessitaram de cardiovers&#227;o el&#233;trica. A <xref ref-type="table" rid="tab3">tabela III</xref> traz as principais complica&#231;&#245;es p&#243;s-operat&#243;rias.</p>
    <table-wrap id="tab3">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-84-01-0034-00008-gt03.jpg"/></table-wrap>
    <p>Nesta s&#233;rie, houve 7 (3,62%) &#243;bitos, sendo 1 devido a causas metab&#243;licas, 1 a mediastinite, 1 de causa n&#227;o identificada, ocorrido no 2&#186; p&#243;s-operat&#243;rio de refixa&#231;&#227;o de esterno, um a choque cardiog&#234;nico e tr&#234;s a broncopneumonia. O &#243;bito devido a mediastinite ocorreu em paciente que necessitou ser reoperado por sangramento. O outro paciente que necessitou de reopera&#231;&#227;o por sangramento faleceu por broncopneumonia no 8&#186; p&#243;s-operat&#243;rio. O terceiro paciente que necessitou de reopera&#231;&#227;o precoce, para refixar o esterno, faleceu de causa n&#227;o identificada. Os outros dois &#243;bitos ocorreram em pacientes que necessitaram de ventila&#231;&#227;o prolongada. O paciente que faleceu devido a causas metab&#243;licas havia sido operado em car&#225;ter de emerg&#234;ncia. A <xref ref-type="table" rid="tab4">tabela IV</xref> apresenta as causas dos &#243;bitos.</p>
    <table-wrap id="tab4">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-84-01-0034-00008-gt04.jpg"/></table-wrap>
    <p>O tempo de perman&#234;ncia na unidade de terapia intensiva variou de 22 a 216 horas, sendo que 49 (25,3%) pacientes ficaram menos de 24 horas, 102 (52,8%) entre 24 e 48 horas, 21 (11%) entre 48 e 72 horas e, 21 (11%) um per&#237;odo superior a 72 horas.</p>
    <p>O tempo de interna&#231;&#227;o hospitalar variou de 4 a 26 dias, sendo que 143 (74%) pacientes tiveram alta antes do 6&#186; dia de p&#243;s-operat&#243;rio.</p>
    <p>
      <bold>Discuss&#227;o</bold>
    </p>
    <p>O aumento na expectativa de vida da popula&#231;&#227;o, relacionado &#224;s melhorias das condi&#231;&#245;es b&#225;sicas de sa&#250;de, bem como a um grande avan&#231;o da medicina mundial nos &#250;ltimos 15 anos, faz com que cada vez mais, a cardiologia se depare com pacientes acima de 70 anos, sem que a idade seja considerada como um impeditivo para a indica&#231;&#227;o de qualquer tipo de tratamento. Estudos recentes mostraram que a expectativa de vida para daqui a 10 anos deve ser superior aos 72 anos<sup>13</sup>.</p>
    <p>As estat&#237;sticas demonstram que a maior causa de mortalidade no idoso &#233; a doen&#231;a cardiovascular e a doen&#231;a coronariana respons&#225;vel por mais de 70% dos &#243;bitos nessa faixa et&#225;ria<sup>14</sup>, enquanto a insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca congestiva &#233; a principal respons&#225;vel pelas interna&#231;&#245;es<sup>15,16</sup>. A idade avan&#231;ada deve ser considerada como fator de risco elevado na indica&#231;&#227;o da opera&#231;&#227;o coronariana?</p>
    <p>Os primeiros relatos consistentes da efetividade das opera&#231;&#245;es para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea datam dos anos 80, quando Buffolo e cols.<sup>3</sup>, e, simultaneamente, Benetti<sup>4</sup>, apresentaram os resultados em grupos expressivos de pacientes, demonstrando que, com o aux&#237;lio de algumas manobras operat&#243;rias, o uso de drogas para se reduzir a freq&#252;&#234;ncia card&#237;aca e o consumo de oxig&#234;nio, as opera&#231;&#245;es sem extracorp&#243;rea eram seguras, eficazes e reprodut&#237;veis, apresentando baixa mortalidade, baixa morbidade, custo menor e, principalmente, altamente efetivas em pacientes de alto risco.</p>
    <p>Com esses resultados e com os novos apresentados por ambos os grupos em grande n&#250;mero de pacientes ao longo de toda a d&#233;cada, o interesse pelas opera&#231;&#245;es de revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea foi gradativamente aumentando e, com ele, o desenvolvimento de novos instrumentos que tornariam a aplicabilidade da t&#233;cnica cada vez maior, como por exemplo, o desenvolvimento do <italic>shunt</italic> intraluminal por Rivetti e Gandra<sup>17</sup>, que permite a realiza&#231;&#227;o das anastomoses sem a necessidade de oclus&#227;o do vaso e ainda o grande n&#250;mero de estabilizadores de tecidos colocados &#224; disposi&#231;&#227;o do mercado, tornando este tipo de opera&#231;&#227;o cada vez mais reprodut&#237;vel. Esta s&#233;rie n&#227;o utilizou o <italic>shunt</italic> intraluminal como rotina, reservando seu uso para grandes art&#233;rias, especialmente a coron&#225;ria direita.</p>
    <p>A contribui&#231;&#227;o de Lima<sup>18</sup> veio somar &#224;s outras, manobras para a apresenta&#231;&#227;o dos vasos da parede lateral e posterior do cora&#231;&#227;o e que cursou com menos instabilidade hemodin&#226;mica. Atrav&#233;s de um ponto aplicado entre a veia cava inferior e a veia pulmonar inferior direita, o autor demonstrou que qualquer vaso do cora&#231;&#227;o poderia ser abordado, aumentando, assim, o j&#225; crescente interesse pelas opera&#231;&#245;es para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea. Estudos durante a d&#233;cada de 90 responderam positivamente aos dois questionamentos feitos pelos cr&#237;ticos a este tipo de opera&#231;&#227;o, ou seja a qualidade da anastomose e a revasculariza&#231;&#227;o incompleta quando realizada sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea.</p>
    <p>Comprovando-se que a opera&#231;&#227;o para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea apresentava uma menor morbidade, especialmente em pacientes de alto risco, in&#250;meros estudos demonstraram sua aplicabilidade em pacientes acima de 70 anos com resultados superiores aos esperados pelos &#237;ndices preditivos de mortalidade<sup>19-23</sup>.</p>
    <p>Contudo, algumas considera&#231;&#245;es devem ser feitas quando o idoso &#233; submetido a cirurgia coronariana. Em nossa s&#233;rie, confirmando observa&#231;&#245;es de outros autores<sup>24-26</sup>, a incid&#234;ncia de complica&#231;&#245;es foi relativamente baixa, por&#233;m, a toler&#226;ncia do paciente acima de 75 anos &#224;s complica&#231;&#245;es &#233; inferior &#224; observada em pacientes mais jovens. Tr&#234;s fatores tiveram import&#226;ncia nesta s&#233;rie, quando avaliada a mortalidade: ventila&#231;&#227;o mec&#226;nica prolongada, reintuba&#231;&#227;o orotraqueal e reopera&#231;&#227;o precoce.</p>
    <p>Entre os 193 pacientes avaliados, 4 (2%) necessitaram de reopera&#231;&#227;o, um por deisc&#234;ncia de esterno e tr&#234;s por sangramento, sendo que deles tr&#234;s vieram a falecer. A incid&#234;ncia de broncopneumonia foi elevada entre os pacientes que permaneceram em ventila&#231;&#227;o prolongada (54%) ou que precisaram ser reintubados (60%). A taxa de complica&#231;&#245;es &#233; baixa, visto que a incid&#234;ncia de complica&#231;&#245;es comuns a este tipo de procedimento, tais como insufici&#234;ncia renal, infarto do mioc&#225;rdio, acidente vascular cerebral, mediastinite e sangramento, ou n&#227;o foram observadas ou foram observadas em um n&#250;mero pequeno de pacientes, inferior a 2%. Entretanto, estas complica&#231;&#245;es, quando ocorreram, tiveram uma evolu&#231;&#227;o menos favor&#225;vel que a habitual.</p>
    <p>A opera&#231;&#227;o para revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea vem ganhando um grande n&#250;mero de entusiastas, atingindo 28% dos casos operados nos Estados Unidos, com previs&#227;o de aumento deste n&#250;mero para 50% em 2005. A aplicabilidade da t&#233;cnica em 100% dos casos tornou-se poss&#237;vel com o aux&#237;lio dos novos estabilizadores e com a aplica&#231;&#227;o da t&#233;cnica descrita por Lima e cols.<sup>18</sup>, padronizando a exposi&#231;&#227;o dos vasos da parede lateral e posterior do cora&#231;&#227;o. &#192; medida que novos resultados forem sendo apresentados na literatura, acreditamos que o n&#250;mero de opera&#231;&#245;es sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea apresentar&#225; um crescimento significativo.</p>
    <p>Concluindo, pacientes acima de 75 anos de idade apresentam-se para opera&#231;&#227;o com condi&#231;&#227;o cl&#237;nica menos favor&#225;vel que pacientes mais jovens devido a doen&#231;as associadas. A opera&#231;&#227;o de revasculariza&#231;&#227;o do mioc&#225;rdio sem circula&#231;&#227;o extracorp&#243;rea mostrou-se, mais uma vez, segura e eficaz, conduzindo a uma maior indica&#231;&#227;o &#224; popula&#231;&#227;o espec&#237;fica. A ocorr&#234;ncia de complica&#231;&#245;es p&#243;s-operat&#243;rias levou a um aumento na mortalidade, por isto sua presen&#231;a deve ser detectada precocemente e tratada.</p>
    <p>
      <fn id="back10" fn-type="corresp">
        <label>
          <bold>Endere&#231;o para correspond&#234;ncia</bold>
        </label>
        <p> Rodrigo Milani </p>
        <p> Santa Casa de Miseric&#243;rdia &#151; Cirurgia Card&#237;aca </p>
        <p> Pra&#231;a Rui Barbosa, 694 </p>
        <p> Cep 80010-030 Curitiba &#151; PR </p>
        <p> E-mail: </p>
        <p>
          <email xlink:href="grmilani@cardiol.br">grmilani@cardiol.br</email>
        </p>
      </fn>
    </p>
    <p>Recebido em 26/03/2003 </p>
    <p> Aceito em 19/052004</p>
  </body>
  <back>
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  </back>
  <sub-article article-type="translation" id="TRen" xml:lang="en">
    <front-stub>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Original Articles</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title xml:lang="en">Myocardial revascularization without extracorporeal circulation in patients over 75 years of age: analysis of immediate results</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <abstract xml:lang="en">
        <p>OBJECTIVE: To assess the immediate results of myocardial revascularization surgery without extracorporeal circulation in a group of patients over 75 years of age. METHODS: From January 2001 to December 2003, 193 (121 men and 72 women) patients with ages ranging from 75 to 94 years, corresponding to 100% of the coronary surgeries performed in patients over the age of 75 years, underwent myocardial revascularization without extracorporeal circulation. Their hospitalization data were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Arterial hypertension was present in 174 (90%), dyslipidemia in 115 (59%), smoking in 89 (46%), and diabetes in 57 (29%). Ninety-six (49.7%) patients had had a previous myocardial infarction, 53 of whom (27.4%) had experienced an acute ischemic event in a period &lt; 30 days after surgery. Critical obstructive lesions in 3 or more coronary vessels were present in 156 (80.95%) patients, while 30 (15%) patients had an important obstruction of the left main coronary artery, and 30 (15%) patients had an ejection fraction &lt; 30%. The score obtained according to the EUROSCORE ranged from 3 to 18, with an expected mortality rate for the group of 7.54&#177;2.69%. The total number of distal anastomoses was 639. Seven (3.62%) patients died, 3 due to bronchopneumonia, 1 due to mediastinitis, 1 due to metabolic causes, 1 due to cardiogenic shock, and another died suddenly after refixation of a sternal dehiscence. Reoperation due to bleeding, orotracheal reintubation, and prolonged mechanical ventilation were factors associated with an increase in mortality. CONCLUSION: The surgery adopted for myocardial revascularization was associated with a low mortality rate, a low complication index, and a short length of stay at the hospital.</p>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group xml:lang="en">
        <kwd>elderly</kwd>
        <kwd>myocardial revascularization surgery</kwd>
        <kwd>extracorporeal circulation</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
    </front-stub>
    <body>
      <p>
        <bold>ORIGINAL ARTICLE</bold>
      </p>
      <p>Myocardial revascularization without extracorporeal circulation in patients over 75 years of age. Analysis of immediate results</p>
      <p>Rodrigo Milani; Paulo Brofman; Alexandre Varela; Jose Augusto Souza; Maximiliano Guimar&#227;es; Rafael Pantarolli; Alexandre Barbosa; Laura Barbosa; Thaise Sandri; Luiz Gustavo Emed; Fernanda Ceccon; Francisco Maia </p>
      <p> Curitiba, PR - Brazil</p>
      <p>Servi&#231;o de Cirurgia Cardiovascular da Alian&#231;a Sa&#250;de - Pontif&#237;cia Universidade Cat&#243;lica do Paran&#225;</p>
      <p>
        <xref ref-type="corresp" rid="back10-body2">Correspondence</xref>
      </p>
      <p>
        <bold>ABSTRACT</bold>
      </p>
      <p><bold>OBJECTIVE: </bold>To assess the immediate results of myocardial revascularization surgery without extracorporeal circulation in a group of patients over 75 years of age.</p>
      <p><bold>METHODS: </bold>From January 2001 to December 2003, 193 (121 men and 72 women) patients with ages ranging from 75 to 94 years, corresponding to 100% of the coronary surgeries performed in patients over the age of 75 years, underwent myocardial revascularization without extracorporeal circulation. Their hospitalization data were retrospectively analyzed.</p>
      <p><bold>RESULTS: </bold>Arterial hypertension was present in 174 (90%), dyslipidemia in 115 (59%), smoking in 89 (46%), and diabetes in 57 (29%). Ninety-six (49.7%) patients had had a previous myocardial infarction, 53 of whom (27.4%) had experienced an acute ischemic event in a period &lt; 30 days after surgery. Critical obstructive lesions in 3 or more coronary vessels were present in 156 (80.95%) patients, while 30 (15%) patients had an important obstruction of the left main coronary artery, and 30 (15%) patients had an ejection fraction &lt; 30%. The score obtained according to the EUROSCORE ranged from 3 to 18, with an expected mortality rate for the group of 7.54&#177;2.69%. The total number of distal anastomoses was 639. Seven (3.62%) patients died, 3 due to bronchopneumonia, 1 due to mediastinitis, 1 due to metabolic causes, 1 due to cardiogenic shock, and another died suddenly after refixation of a sternal dehiscence. Reoperation due to bleeding, orotracheal reintubation, and prolonged mechanical ventilation were factors associated with an increase in mortality.</p>
      <p><bold>CONCLUSION: </bold>The surgery adopted for myocardial revascularization was associated with a low mortality rate, a low complication index, and a short length of stay at the hospital.</p>
      <p><bold>Keywords: </bold>elderly, myocardial revascularization surgery, extracorporeal circulation</p>
      <p>The increase in the elderly population in Brazil in recent years has led to a greater number of patients over the age of 70 years requiring myocardial revascularization surgery. However, over the years, advanced age has been considered a risk factor for morbidity and mortality in coronary artery surgeries <sup>1,2</sup>. The recent advances in myocardial revascularization surgeries without extracorporeal circulation, the technique recommended by Buffolo et al <sup>3</sup> and Benetti <sup>4</sup> at the beginning of the 1980s, has aroused interest in this type of surgery, especially in high-risk patients <sup>5-7</sup>.</p>
      <p>We retrospectively analyzed the immediate results of the myocardial revascularization surgery without extracorporeal circulation in patients over the age of 75 years.</p>
      <p>
        <bold>Methods</bold>
      </p>
      <p>Data of the present study were prospectively collected from the database used by the Society for Thoracic Surgery <sup>8</sup> and according to the risk index developed by the European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery, EUROSCORE <sup>9,10</sup>. All patients over the age of 75 years, who underwent coronary surgery without extracorporeal circulation from January 2001 to December 2003 were analyzed.</p>
      <p>The anesthetic technique used has been standardized and previously described <sup>11</sup>. After anesthetic induction and graft obtainment <sup>11</sup>, the patients were heparinized with a dose of 2.5 mg/kg. A 2-0 thread stitch fixed to a 3-cm-width cotton band was applied to the pericardial deflexion between the inferior vena cava and the right inferior pulmonary vein <sup>12</sup> for complete exposure of the heart. The distal anastomoses were performed first, and the artery approached was occluded in its proximal portion to the anastomosis with a 4-0 thread stitch. The area of the anastomosis was exposed and fixed with a suction stabilizer (Octopuss System, Medtronic Corporation, Redmond, WA). At the end of the distal anastomoses, systolic blood pressure was maintained at 100 mm Hg, the aorta was partially clamped, and the proximal anastomoses were performed. When the anastomosing process was finished, 2 mg/kg of heparin were reverted with protamine sulfate and the surgery ended. Whenever possible, the patient was awakened from sedation in the operating room, and orotracheal extubation was performed. Then, the patient was sent to the intensive care unit, where he received continuous infusion of nitroglycerin and electrolyte replacement for 24 hours. Erythrocyte concentrate was administered whenever the hematocrit was below 30%.</p>
      <p>
        <bold>Results</bold>
      </p>
      <p>The study comprised 193 patients aged 75 to 94 years (mean, 78.5&#177;3.14 years), who underwent myocardial revascularization without extracorporeal circulation, 121 (62.6%) being men and 72 (37.4%) women.</p>
      <p>In regard to risk factors and associated diseases (<xref ref-type="table" rid="tab1-body2">tab. I</xref>), the patients were as follows: 29.5% were diabetic; 49.7% were smokers; 59.1% had elevated cholesterol levels; 90.1% were hypertensive; 4.1% had gastrointestinal disorders; 5.1% were chronic renal patients undergoing a dialysis program; 2.0% had had a previous vascular cerebral accident; 15.5% had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; 15.5% had a peripheral vascular disorder; 1.5% had complete atrioventricular blockage; and 4.6% had chronic atrial fibrillation.</p>
      <table-wrap id="tab1-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-84-01-0034-00008-gt01-en.jpg"/></table-wrap>
      <p>In regard to functional class, the patients were as follows: 15.5%, were in functional class I; 32.1%, in functional class II; 27.4%, in functional class III; and 24.8%, in functional class IV (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig1-body2">fig. 1</xref>). Ninety-six (49.7%) patients had previous myocardial infarction and 27.4% had had a previous myocardial infarction within the 30 days preceding surgery. The ejection fraction was greater than 50% in 54.5% of the patients, between 30% and 50% in 30% of the patients, and lower than 30% in 15.5% (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig2-body2">fig. 2</xref>).</p>
      <fig id="fig1-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-84-01-0034-00008-gf01-en.jpg"/></fig>
      <fig id="fig2-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-84-01-0034-00008-gf02-en.jpg"/></fig>
      <p>Coronary cineangiography (<xref ref-type="table" rid="tab2-body2">tab. II</xref>) showed lesions in 1 vessel in 3% of the patients, in 2 vessels in 16% of the patients, and in 3 or more vessels in 81% of the patients. Twenty-two (17.4%) patients had a lesion in the left main coronary artery.</p>
      <table-wrap id="tab2-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-84-01-0034-00008-gt02-en.jpg"/></table-wrap>
      <p>In regard to other preoperative antecedents, 32.1% of the patients had undergone previous angioplasty, 6.2% had undergone thrombolytic therapy due to acute myocardial infarction, 7.7% had undergone myocardial revascularization surgery, and 1% had definitive pacemaker. In the immediate preoperative period, 31% were using intravenous nitroglycerine for controlling angina, 5.1% were receiving a vasoactive drug due to significant hypotension, and 1% had used preoperative intra-aortic balloon. Nineteen (9.8%) patients underwent surgery on an emergency basis. The EUROSCORE score ranged from 3 to 18, with an expected mean mortality of 7.54&#177;2.69%.</p>
      <p>The total number of distal anastomoses was 639, with a mean of 3.26&#177;1.18 per patient. The left internal thoracic artery and the radial artery were used in 132 (68.4%) and 38 (19.6%) patients, respectively. The mechanical ventilation duration ranged from zero to 216 hours, with a mean of 3 hours and 45 minutes. Eleven (5.6%) patients remained under mechanical ventilation for more than 24 hours; 49 (25.3%) were awakened and extubated in the operating room; 5 (2.5%) required orotracheal reintubation, none of whom belonged to the group extubated at the end of anesthesia. Twenty-six (13.4%) patients developed bronchopneumonia, 6 (54.5%) of whom belonged to the group with prolonged ventilation and 3 (60%) of whom belonged to the group that required orotracheal reintubation.</p>
      <p>Three (1.5%) patients required reoperation due to bleeding. The mean drainage volume through the thorax and mediastinal drains was 420&#177;155.4 mL (range, 50 to 1450 mL). Sixty-nine (35.7%) patients required no erythrocyte concentrate. Two (1%) patients had mediastinitis, and one had sternal dehiscence on the sixth postoperative day, and the patient was immediately referred for refixation. One (0.5%) patient experienced an ischemic cerebral vascular accident on the third postoperative day after an apparently normal recovery on the first days. Forty-three (22.2%) patients had acute atrial fibrillation in the postoperative period, 4 of whom required electrical cardioversion. <xref ref-type="table" rid="tab3-body2">Table III</xref> shows the major postoperative complications.</p>
      <table-wrap id="tab3-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-84-01-0034-00008-gt03-en.jpg"/></table-wrap>
      <p>In this series, 7 (3.62%) patients died, one due to metabolic causes, one due to mediastinitis, one due to an unidentified cause on the second postoperative day of sternal refixation, one due to cardiogenic shock, and 3 due to bronchopneumonia. Death due to mediastinitis occurred in a patient who required reoperation due to bleeding. The other patient who required reoperation due to bleeding died because of bronchopneumonia on the eighth postoperative day. The third patient who required early reoperation for sternal refixation, died due to an unidentified cause. The other 2 patients who died required prolonged ventilation. The patient who died due to metabolic causes had been operated upon on an emergency basis. <xref ref-type="table" rid="tab4-body2">Table IV</xref> shows the causes of death.</p>
      <table-wrap id="tab4-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-84-01-0034-00008-gt04-en.jpg"/></table-wrap>
      <p>The length of stay in the intensive care unit ranged from 22 to 216 hours; 49 (25.3%) patients stayed less than 24 hours; 102 (52.8%) stayed from 24 to 48 hours; 21 (11%) from 48 to 72 hours; and 21 (11%) stayed longer than 72 hours.</p>
      <p>The length of stay at the hospital ranged from 4 to 26 days, and 143 (74%) patients were discharged on the sixth postoperative day.</p>
      <p>
        <bold>Discussion</bold>
      </p>
      <p>The increase in life expectancy of the population related to improvements in baseline health conditions, as well as the great advances in medicine worldwide in the past 15 years, allows cardiological management of patients over 70, and age has not been considered an obstacle for indicating any type of treatment. Recent studies have shown that life expectancy 10 years from now should be greater than 72 years <sup>13</sup>.</p>
      <p>The statistics have shown that the major cause of mortality in the elderly is cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease accounting for more than 70% of the deaths in that age group <sup>14</sup>, and congestive heart failure accounting for most hospitalizations <sup>15,16</sup>. Should advanced age be considered a factor of elevated risk for indicating coronary artery surgery?</p>
      <p>The first consistent reports about the effectiveness of myocardial revascularization surgeries without extracorporeal circulation date back to the 1980s, when Buffolo et al <sup>3</sup> and Benetti <sup>4</sup>, working in parallel with each other, reported the results in significant groups of patients. These authors showed that, with the aid of some surgical maneuvers and the use of drugs to reduce heart rate and oxygen consumption, the surgeries without extracorporeal circulation were safe, effective, and reproducible, and had low mortality, low morbidity, low cost, and, mainly, were highly effective in high-risk patients.</p>
      <p>With those results and the new ones reported by both groups with a large number of patients over the entire decade, the interest in myocardial revascularization surgeries without extracorporeal circulation has gradually increased. In addition, the development of new instruments has gradually increased the applicability of the technique; for example, intraluminal shunt developed by Rivetti and Gandra <sup>17</sup> allows the performance of anastomoses without the need for occluding the vessel. Still, the great number of tissue stabilizers available on the market has also contributed to the increased interest in that type of surgery, making it increasingly reproducible. In our case series, we did not routinely use the intraluminal shunt, reserving it for the great arteries, especially the right coronary artery.</p>
      <p>The Brazilian surgeon Gandra Lima <sup>18</sup> contributed by proposing maneuvers for presenting the vessels of the lateral and posterior wall of the heart, which provide less hemodynamic instability. By using a stitch applied between the inferior vena cava and the right inferior pulmonary vein, the author showed that any vessel in the heart could be approached; therefore, interest increased in myocardial revascularization surgeries without extracorporeal circulation. Studies carried out during the 1990s responded positively to the 2 questions posed by the critics to this type of surgery, ie, the quality of the anastomosis and incomplete revascularization when performed without extracorporeal circulation.</p>
      <p>Confirming that myocardial revascularization surgery without extracorporeal circulation has lower morbidity, especially in high-risk patients, several studies have shown its applicability in patients over the age of 70 years with better results than those expected according to the predictive mortality indices <sup>19-23</sup>.</p>
      <p>However, some aspects should be considered when the elderly undergo coronary artery surgery. In our case series, in agreement with observations of other authors<sup>24-26</sup>, the incidence of complications was relatively low, but the tolerance to complications of a patient older than 75 years is lower than that observed in younger patients. Three factors were important in this series in regard to mortality: prolonged mechanical ventilation, orotracheal reintubation, and early reoperation.</p>
      <p>Of the 193 patients assessed, 4 (2%) required reoperation, one due to sternal dehiscence and 3 due to bleeding. Three of them died. The incidence of bronchopneumonia was elevated among the patients who remained under prolonged ventilation (54%) or those who required reintubation (60%). The complication rate was low, considering that the incidence of complications, such as renal failure, myocardial infarction, cerebral vascular accidents, mediastinitis, and bleeding, common in this type of procedure, either were not observed or were observed in a small number of patients (less than 2%). However, these complications, when occurring, had a less favorable evolution than usual.</p>
      <p>Myocardial revascularization surgery without extracorporeal circulation has gained a large number of enthusiasts, reaching 28% of the cases operated on in the United States. That figure is expected to increase to 50% by 2005. The applicability of the technique in 100% of the cases became possible with the aid of new stabilizers and the use of the technique reported by Lima et al <sup>18</sup> standardizing the exposure of the vessels of the lateral and posterior walls of the heart. As new results are reported in the literature, we believe that the number of surgeries without extracorporeal circulation will increase, reaching 100%.</p>
      <p>In conclusion, patients older than 75 years present for surgery with less favorable clinical conditions than younger patients do, due to associated diseases. The myocardial revascularization surgery without extracorporeal circulation, once again, proved to be safe and effective, resulting in its greater indication in this specific population. The occurrence of postoperative complications has led to a significant increase in mortality; therefore, their presence should be detected early and treated aggressively.</p>
      <p>
        <bold>References</bold>
      </p>
      <p>
        <fn id="back10-body2" fn-type="corresp">
          <label>
            <bold>Correspondece to</bold>
          </label>
          <p> Rodrigo Milani</p>
          <p> Santa Casa de Miseric&#243;rdia &#151; Cirurgia Card&#237;aca</p>
          <p> Pra&#231;a Rui Barbosa, 694</p>
          <p> Cep 80010-030 Curitiba, PR, Brazil</p>
          <p> E-mail: </p>
          <p>
            <email xlink:href="grmilani@cardiol.br">grmilani@cardiol.br</email>
          </p>
        </fn>
      </p>
      <p>Received for publication: 03/26/2003</p>
      <p> Accepted for publication: 05/19/2004</p>
      <p>English version by Stela Maris Costalonga</p>
    </body>
  </sub-article>
</article>
