Does diabetes and associated conditions affect long-term survival in patients undergoing CABG surgery?
The presence of renal failure and peripheral vascular disease, rather than diabetes alone, are the primary drivers of reduced long-term survival in diabetic patients undergoing CABG.
Patients that have diabetes without the sequelae of renal failure and/or peripheral vascular disease have long-term survival similar to but slightly less than patients without diabetes who undergo CABG surgery. Survival of CABG surgery patients with diabetes is greatly affected by associated comorbidities of peripheral vascular disease and renal failure. This knowledge may help guide the patient as well as the cardiologist and cardiac surgeon in making appropriate decisions in these critically ill patients.
Leavitt et al. (Mon,) studied this question.