Effect of Diabetes Mellitus on Graft Disease Pattern after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in Symptomatic Post CABG Patients Assessed by Multi-Slice CT Coronary Angiography

Abstract

S urgical revascularization of the coronary arteries is one of the most frequent surgical procedures performed worldwide. The reduction or disappearance of angina, the improved tolerability of physical exercise and the overall improvement in quality of life and life expectancy have been the motivations underlying its use since the first the procedure was performed in the 1950. Although the procedure is one of the major successes of modern medicine, it doesn't treat the disease underlying the symptoms (atherosclerosis) only the clinical presentation of coronary artery disease. Diabetes mellitus is associated with a tendency toward higher platelet reactivity, higher levels of coagulation factors, greater systemic inflammation, and reduced efficacy of aspirin, and consequently some signal of increased graft failure in diabetic individuals may be expected. The lack of such a signal to date suggests a complexity to the pathbiology of graft disease or perhaps a beneficial effect of hypoglycemic medication. Aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of diabetes mellitus on the patency of arterial and venous grafts after coronary artery bypass surgery assessed by multislice CT coronary angiography.