• Erkan Kaya, Kubilay Karabacak, Murat Kadan, Kadri Murat Gurses, Duygu Kocyigit, Suat Doganci, Vedat Yildirim, and Ufuk Demirkilic.
• Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey erkankaya76@yahoo.com.
• Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2015 Jul 1; 21 (1): 96-101.

ObjectivesWith the adoption of novel operative techniques and aggressive care protocols that facilitate earlier extubation and mobilization of patients, postoperative length of stay (LOS) following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) has declined. However, there is paucity of information regarding preoperative electrocardiographic predictors of LOS following CABG. In this study, we investigated whether frontal QRS-T angle, which is an abnormal repolarization marker in prediction of various cardiovascular events, was an independent correlate of postoperative hospital LOS for off-pump CABG. Furthermore, we evaluated independent predictors of vasopressor agent/intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support requirement following off-pump CABG.MethodsIn this observational study, 78 patients with stable angina, who were scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass surgery following diagnosis of obstructive coronary artery disease by conventional angiography, were enrolled.ResultsLeft ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was significantly lower and vasopressor agent/IABP support requirement and incidence of sustained atrial or ventricular arrhythmias was higher in patients with wide QRS-T angle (P < 0.05). Postoperative hospital LOS was also longer in this group. From the preoperative characteristics, wide frontal QRS-T angle was found to be an independent correlate of postoperative hospital LOS (B ± SD: 11.97 ± 0.62, P ≤ 0.01). Wide frontal QRS-T angle was also found to be an independent predictor of vasopressor agent/IABP support requirement postoperatively (OR: 7.87, P ≤ 0.01).ConclusionsPrediction of the hospital LOS and patient outcome following CABG is of great importance. Being easily obtainable via standard 12-lead electrocardiogram and its low cost may make frontal QRS-T angle a beneficial marker for reducing both patient-based morbidity and economic burden.© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

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