Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) operation remains an important procedure despite advances in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.1 The ultimate goal of CABG is to ensure the long-term symptom-free patency of bypass grafts.2 It is known that graft patency is dependent on several factors such as operative factors, graft selection, vessel diameter, postoperative medication use, and patient compliance.3 Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) is a global index obtained from a cohort of general medical patients that is widely used to detect comorbidities among various populations.4 This study investigated the association between bypass graft patency and comorbidity burden determined by CCI in patients with previous bypass operation who underwent a control angiography procedure for any reason.

One hundred and two patients with a history of CABG after presenting with acute coronary syndrome or who underwent coronary angiography for any reason were included in the study (72 M, 30 F; mean age 66.2 ± 7.9 years). Coronary angiography was performed in all patients due to stable angina pectoris (SAP), unstable angina pectoris (UAP), non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). A monoplane angiography system (Artis Zee, Siemens Erlangen, Germany) was used for all coronary angiography procedures. Critical stenoses were defined as 50% or greater coronary luminal obstruction affecting any coronary vessel or its lateral branch. The stenosis percentage was defined through the consensuses of two separate operators. Charlson co-morbidity index (CCI) and modified CCI score (calculated by subtracting 1 point from the original CCI score) were used to detect comorbid conditions. The patients were categorized into two groups based on severity of bypass graft stenoses. Group 1 consisted of 54 patients with critical graft stenoses (41 men, 13 women; mean age 66.5 ± 7.8 years), and group 2 of 48 patients (31 men, 17 women; mean age 65.9 ± 8.2 years). Detailed patient history was taken from each patient, and data on demographic characteristics, medications, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were recorded. Fasting blood glucose levels, lipid profile, renal and hepatic function tests were obtained from venous blood samples taken at the time of admission. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography to quantify ejection fraction and left ventricular diameters. The local ethics committee approved the study.

The two groups were statistically similar with respect to demographic properties, time since bypass operation, cardiovascular risk factors, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, medications used, complete blood counts parameters, and lipid profiles (Table 1). CCI score were significantly higher in Group 1 compared to Group 2 (7.14 ± 2.02 vs 4.72 ± 1.58; p < 0.001). Modified CCI score was also higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 (6.14 ± 2.02 vs 3.73 ± 1.60; p < 0.001). There was no correlation between time since bypass operation and CCI score.

CABG is a globally recognized procedure that not only cures angina pectoris, but also improves cardiac functions and life expectancy. Saphenous grafts were initially used for the procedure, which were later followed by internal thoracic and radial arteries.5 Saphenous veins are the most commonly used conduits, 50% of which remain patent without flow-limiting stenoses by 10 years. Early graft restenosis is a process characterized by the activation of various molecular pathways and cellular components, and the simultaneous activation of hemostatic systems with endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress ultimately results in the appearance of a systemic inflammatory response.6 During the intermediate and long terms, on the other hand, intimal hyperplasia and superimposed atherosclerosis are the main responsible mechanisms for graft occlusion.7

In a large-scale study from the Cleveland Clinic, the main factors causing reoperation were a young age at operation and graft type; other factors include incomplete revascularization, higher NYHA functional class, ventricular dysfunction, and single- or two-vessel disease at the initial operation.8 In a study by Goldman et al.,9 the main factors determining long-term graft patency included graft type (internal mammary artery - IMA - better than venous grafts), left anterior descending artery - LAD - being the bypassed vessel, and bypassed vessel being larger than 2 mm. Desai et al.10 showed that radial artery grafts had an important effect on long-term graft patency, which was more pronounced among women. They also demonstrated that the diameter of the bypassed vessel and bypass grafting proximal stenoses were determinants of bypass patency.

In our study, the mean time since bypass operation was 7.6 ± 4.3 years. Patients who had occluded bypass grafts more commonly had saphenous grafts. There were no differences between patients with and without graft occlusion with respect to graft type, time since bypass, risk factors, and medications. However, CCI and modified CCI scores were significantly higher in the graft occlusion group. Despite similar demographic characteristics and risk factor profiles, the significant difference between the CCI scores may have contributed to the restenosis process.

Graft occlusion is more common among patients with a high comorbidity burden. Our opinion is that considering comorbid conditions along with conventional atherosclerotic risk factors at the preoperative and postoperative periods would have a favorable impact on graft patency among patients undergoing bypass surgery. The CCI scoring system may be helpful to identify patients at increased risk at both the preoperative and postoperative periods.