Operative Status and Survival after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Abstract

<p><b>Background:</b> The effect of race on long-term survival of patients undergoing elective and nonelective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare long-term survival between black and white CABG patients by operative status.</p><p><b>Methods:</b> Long-term survival of black versus white patients undergoing elective and nonelective CABG procedures between 1992 and 2011 was compared. Survival probabilities were computed using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method and stratified by race. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using a Cox regression model.</p><p><b>Results:</b> A total of 13,774 patients were included in this study. The median follow-up time for study participants was 8.2 years. Black patients undergoing elective CABG died sooner than whites (adjusted HR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.2�1.5). Survival was similar between blacks and whites in the nonelective population (adjusted HR = 1.0, 95% CI = 0.96�1.1).</p><p><b>Conclusions:</b> Black race was a statistically significant predictor of long-term survival after elective but not nonelective CABG.</p>