Postoperative outcomes of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery

INTRODUCTION: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a frequent comorbid disease in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery, with an incidence ranging from 4% to 20.5%. Conventionally, COPD was recognized as a surgical contraindication to CABG. Because of the recent improvements in surgical techniques, anesthesia, and postoperative management, CABG has been performed more commonly in patients with COPD. However, studies have shown the various effects of COPD on postoperative morbidity and mortality after CABG, and this remains to be well defined. OBJECTIVES: To compare the postoperative outcomes after CABG between patients with and those without COPD. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EmBase, and Ovid databases (until May 10, 2018). Studies comparing perioperative results and mortality outcomes after CABG between patients with and those without COPD were evaluated independently by 2 reviewers to identify the potentially eligible studies. Review Manager and STATA software were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: No significant difference in the mortality rates were found between patients with and those without COPD. COPD was associated with a higher respiratory failure rate (odds ratio OR = 4.01; 95% CI: 1.19-13.51, P = .03; P <.001 for heterogeneity), higher pneumonia rate (OR = 2.92; 95% CI: 2.37-3.60, P <.00001; P = .73 for heterogeneity), higher stroke rate (OR = 2.91; 95% CI: 1.37-6.18, P = .005; P = .60 for heterogeneity), higher renal failure rate (OR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.30-1.97, P <.00001; P = .19 for heterogeneity), and higher wound infection rate (OR = 2.16; 95% CI: 1.21-3.88, P = .01; P = .53 for heterogeneity) after CABG. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COPD were at higher risks for developing postoperative morbidities, particularly pneumonia, respiratory failure, stroke, renal failure, and wound infection. Although COPD was not associated with a higher risk of mortality, caution should be taken when a patient with COPD is indicated for CABG, considering the higher odds of postoperative complications involving the respiratory system and others.