Demographic and clinical characteristics
The demographic and surgical characteristics of the two treatment groups are presented in Tables 1 and 2. The demographic characteristics of the two groups were quite similar, with comparable mean age at time of CABG (57.1 ± 8.6 years vs. 57.2 ± 8.1 years; p=0.93), at time of PCI (p=0.72), and at time of HRQoL follow-up (73.4 ± 8.8 years vs. 75.4 ± 7.2 years; p=0.12). Most of the patients were male (around 80%). Risk factors were equally distributed in the two groups, and all comparisons of risk factors between the groups were non-significant. Regarding the characteristics of the CABG and the PCI procedures (Table 2), the two groups showed comparable data in terms of number of anastomoses performed at the CABG, number of successful PCI procedures, frequency of distal embolic protection device usage, and number of thrombectomies performed. The only significant difference was the use of dual antiplatelet therapy at baseline (NT: 54.2% vs. C: 72.6%; p=0.02). However, after the PCI, according to local protocol, the patients received dual antiplatelet therapy for at least 1 year if no contraindication was present.
Analysis of the number of cardiovascular events at 1 year (Table 3) and at long-term follow-up (Table 4) confirmed the comparability of the two groups. At 1 year after the PCI, no differences in term of MACE, in-stent restenosis, or re-hospitalization were reported (Table 3). At the time of HRQoL follow-up (Table 4), more events were reported in the conventional group, but the between-group differences were not statistically significant except for the frequency of in-stent restenosis (NT: 6.25% vs. C: 22.2%; p=0.01).