Is delayed surgical revascularization in acute myocardial infarction useful or dangerous? New insights into an old problem

Abstract OBJECTIVES Haemodynamically stable patients admitted for coronary artery bypass grafting in acute myocardial infarction often undergo delayed surgery in order to avoid the risks of emergency surgery. However, initially stable patients undergoing delayed surgery may develop low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) during the waiting period, which might be a major drawback of this strategy. We aim to define risk factors and clinical consequences of LCOS during the waiting period. METHODS A total of 530 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction (33% non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and 67% ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction) underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting between 2008 and 2013. Outcomes after either immediate (48 h after onset of symptoms) therapy were compared. Predictors of preoperative development of LCOS were identified using multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS Of the 327 patients undergoing delayed therapy, 39 (12%) developed preoperative LCOS, resulting in increased mortality compared with patients who remained stable (21 vs 7.6%, P