Reexploration for hemorrhage following coronary artery bypass grafting: incidence and risk factors. Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group

To assess mortality and risk factors associated with reexploration for hemorrhage in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Regional cohort study. Patient characteristics, treatment variables, and outcome measures were collected prospectively. All 5 centers performing cardiac surgery in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. A consecutive cohort of 8586 patients undergoing isolated CABG between 1992 and 1995. Postoperative hemorrhage leading to reexploration, in-hospital mortality, and length of stay. A total of 305 patients (3.6%) underwent reexploration for bleeding. In these patients, in-hospital mortality was nearly 3 times higher (9.5% vs 3.3% for patients not requiring reoperation, P