Clinical Impact of Preoperative Chest Computed Tomography in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Propensity–matched Analysis

Introduction Neurological complications pose significant risks in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This study explores the potential benefits of preoperative chest computed tomography (CT) in optimizing outcomes and reducing neurological events in high–risk CABG patients. Methods From January 2017 to June 2023, a retrospective cohort study of CABG patients categorized groups based on preoperative chest CT use. Multivariate analysis evaluated the associations between CT imaging and patient characteristics, followed by propensity match analysis to balance preoperative features across groups. Results The study included 1786 patients, with 435 having undergone preoperative CT and 1351 without. Propensity matching created two well–balanced groups of 413 patients each. At multivariate analysis, CT patients were elderly (71.1±8.9 years; p=0.03) with a higher incidence of pulmonary disease (19.5%; p‹0.01), peripheral arterial disease (29.2%; p‹0.01) and previous cerebrovascular disease (23.4%; p=0.02). In the matched CT cohort, the perioperative cerebral stroke rate was 0.7% (vs 1.9% in WCT cohort; p=0.223) and 30–days mortality rate was 0.2% (vs 1.7% in WCT cohort; p=0.069). Patients who had a preoperative CT study presented a higher prevalence of porcelain aorta (6.3% vs 1.5%; p=0.0003) and required more often a no–touch aorta procedure (20.3% vs 14.5%; p=0.035). Conclusions Patients undergoing preoperative chest CT before CABG were typically older and had systemic atherosclerosis and pulmonary disease. Propensity matched analysis indicated low mortality and perioperative cerebral stroke rates in these high–risk patients. These findings support the integration of chest CT into preoperative evaluations for high–risk patients to develop tailored strategies in coronary artery bypass surgery.