Comparison of Sternal Wound Complication after Off-Pump CABG between Skeletonized and Pedicled LIMA Harvesting: A Single Centre Experience in Bangladesh

Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) is a surgical procedure that has gained popularity due to its potential benefits over traditional coronary artery bypass grafting, including reduced morbidity and mortality. However, sternal wound complication (SWC) remains challenging following the procedure. The technique of left internal mammary artery (LIMA) harvesting has been shown to impact the incidence of SWC. This study aimed to compare the incidence of SWC between two techniques of LIMA harvesting, i.e., skeletonized and pedicled. Methods: The study was conducted at the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, and included 60 patients who underwent OPCAB. The patients were divided into two groups of 30 each based on the technique of LIMA harvesting used, i.e., skeletonized (group A) or pedicled (group B). The postoperative ICU care was given to each patient as per the protocol. The statistical analysis was conducted using the SPSS version 26.0 for Windows software. Results: The results showed that 5 (8.33%) patients developed SWC, with 1 (1.67%) patient in group A and 4 (6.66%) patients in group B. However, the occurrence of SWC was not statistically significant between the two groups (p = 0.35). The mean age, gender distribution, and comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and anemia were also not statistically significant between the two groups. The number of smokers was statistically significant between the two groups (p = 0.03), and the occurrence of SWC was found to be higher in smoker patients in group B (p = 0.04). Preoperative and postoperative parameters such as duration of operation, duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of chest drains, duration of the central venous line, and amount of postoperative mediastinal bleeding were also not statistically significant between the two groups. The distribution of wound complications, duration of ICU stays, and hospital stay between the two groups was also not statistically significant. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study found that the incidence of SWC was less in skeletonized LIMA harvesting than in pedicled LIMA harvesting after OPCAB. However, this finding was not statistically significant. Further studies with larger sample sizes may be needed to confirm these results and determine the appropriate technique of LIMA harvesting to decrease the incidence of SWC after OPCAB.