Impact of Gender on Arterial Revascularization Strategies for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

BACKGROUND: There are significant gender differences in arterial revascularization approaches in coronary operations. This study addressed these differences to determine whether discrepancies are related to underlying risk profiles or systematic gender bias.

METHODS: Changes in gender-specific rates of revascularization approaches were determined in 19,557 patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). A propensity-balanced group was generated on a subset of 1,254 CABG patients based on 45 pretreatment covariates to assess rates in matched groups (627 patients per group).

RESULTS: In the entire cohort, male gender was associated with increased bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) use (odds ratio, 1.667; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.166 to 2.386; p = 0.005). Multiple-arterial grafting increased yearly in both genders, but the rate of increase in BITA use was greater in men (1.59%/year [95% CI, 1.56 to 1.63] vs 1.37%/year [95% CI, 1.30 to 1.45], p < 0.001) as was the use of 3 arteries (1.16%/year [95% CI, 1.13 to 1.20] vs 0.73%/year [95% CI, 0.67 to 0.80), p < 0.001) and the use of any 2 arteries (2.34%/year (95% CI, 2.32 to 2.35) vs 1.92%/year [95% CI, 1.90 to 1.95], p < 0.001). In the propensity-matched group, there was no difference in BITA use (male: 31.9%, female: 30.1%; p = 0.502), BITA use in low-risk patients (male: 46.4%, female: 38.0%; p = 0.126), or radial artery use (male: 44.5%, female: 44.1%; p = 0.994), but use of 3 arteries was greater in men (10.5% vs 7.3%, p = 0.048).

CONCLUSIONS: Women receive less complete multiple arterial coronary revascularization than men. This is likely related to later presentation of coronary artery disease in women with higher comorbidity profiles; however, when matched, bias may still exist limiting the option of grafting with 3 arteries to women.