A b s t r a c tBackground: Aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease (CAD) sharing similar risk factors are associated with aging of the human population. Aim:The purpose of this study was to examine whether age affects clinical presentation, intraoperative management, and outcomes of patients who undergo simultaneous operations of aortic valve replacement (AVR) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods:The study involved 452 consecutive patients aged 64.8 ± 8.2 years (range 38-79 years), who underwent combined AVR and CABG between 2005 and 2015. They were divided into three groups: Y (young; below the first quartile; n = 114), M (middle-aged; 58-71 years; n = 225) and E (elderly; above the third quartile; n = 113). Pre-and intraoperative variables were analysed. The deaths that occurred in hospital and throughout follow-up were defined as cardiac-or non-cardiac-related. The probability of survival was calculated with the use of Kaplan-Meier curves.Results: Coronary artery disease was more extensive in group E than in group Y (p < 0.05). Complete myocardial revascularisation was performed in 94.1%, 76.2%, and 62.8% in groups Y, M, and E, respectively (p < 0.05). In-hospital mortality was 2.0%, 5.3%, and 6.4%, in groups Y, M, and E, respectively. Early morbidity was significantly higher in group E than in groups M or Y. The 12-and 60-month freedom from cardiac-related death was higher in group Y (0.98 ± 0.02 and 0.94 ± 0.03) than in group E (0.93 ± 0.02 and 0.85 ± 0.03; p = 0.023, respectively). Left ventricular ejection fraction below 0.4 and incomplete revascularisation were associated with worse prognosis, particularly in group E. Conclusions:Elderly patients undergoing combined procedures of AVR and CABG having more extensive CAD less often receive complete revascularisation, are at higher risk of early organ failure, and present markedly reduced rates of freedom from cardiac-related deaths throughout follow-up than younger subjects.

IntroductionAcute kidney injury (AKI) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) performed in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) may complicate the postoperative course and has a negative impact on outcome. In some cases, postoperative AKI develops in spite of normal baseline creatinine concentration and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).AimTo examine whether there is any association between the preoperative blood morphology and incidence of post-operative AKI.Material and methodsThe study involved 62 consecutive patients with the mean age of 64.0 ±7.4 years who underwent CABG in CPB. Before surgery, blood morphology and biochemistry were analyzed. Patients with eGFR below 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 were excluded. After the operation, parameters of renal function were checked systematically. Acute kidney injury was defined according to the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) classification.ResultsTwenty-one (33.9%) patients presented AKI (group AKI), although in the majority of them (n = 16) it was temporary and medical management was enough to cure AKI. Only in 1 (1.6%) case was renal replacement therapy necessary. In group AKI, patients’ preoperative hemoglobin concentration (8.46 ±0.72 mM/l), red blood cell count (4.51 ±0.39 × 1012/l) and hematocrit (0.40 ±0.04) were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than in group C (9.07 ±0.57 mM/l; 4.78 ±0.36 × 1012/l; 0.43 ±0.03, respectively). Interestingly, the baseline parameters of renal function were comparable between groups.ConclusionsHemoglobin concentration and red blood cell counts close to the lower limit of the normal range may enable identification of patients at risk of AKI early after CABG in CPB among individuals with normal preoperative biochemical parameters of renal function.