Objective: To evaluate the risk of deep sternal infection in a large patient cohort following bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) grafting using skeletonized BITA dissection.
Summary background data: Complete myocardial revascularization using BITAs improves long-term survival and lowers the rate of repeat operations. Harvesting of ITAs as skeletonized vessels preserves sternal collateral blood supply, thus enabling rapid sternal healing with less risk of deep sternal infection.
Methods: One thousand consecutive patients (763 men, 340 patients >70 years old, 304 diabetics) underwent skeletonized BITA grafting from April 1996 to July 1999.
Results: The 30-day mortality rate was 3.4%. There were 10 perioperative infarcts, 16 strokes, and 22 deep sternal infections. There was an increased risk of deep sternal infection in repeat coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) operations (15%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (6.2%), congestive heart failure (4.7%), left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction < 35%, 4.5%), and longer aortic cross-clamping time. After adjustment for other demographic, clinical, and surgical predictors, the only independent predictors of deep sternal infection were repeat operations, COPD, and duration of aortic cross-clamping. No patients in the reoperation subgroup died, but three of six COPD patients with deep sternal infection died, and COPD was an independent predictor of overall (early + late) mortality.
Conclusions: Skeletonized BITA grafting carries an acceptable risk of deep sternal infection but is not recommended for repeat CABG or for patients with COPD.