A 6-Year Single-Center Experience of Intra-aortic Balloon Pump Treatment--Retrospective Analysis of 223 Patients

Objectives: This study describes the long-term survival (1 year) of patients after intra-aortic balloon pump (IAPB) treatment.

Design: A single-center, retrospective registry study.

Setting: Single university hospital intensive care unit.

Participants: Participants included 223 consecutive patients who received intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) treatment between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2010 (203 cardiac surgical patients [7.8% of all cardiac surgical patients] and 20 conservative medical patients).

Interventions: IABP treatment was used as an adjunct therapy for severe hemodynamic compromise perioperatively in cardiac surgery and in hemodynamic shock of other etiology.

Measurements and main results: Mean age of patients was 66±10 years. The 30-day mortality was 22.1% for surgical patients and 37.8% for conservative medical patients. The 1-year mortality was 24.5% for surgical patients and 55% for conservative medical patients. There were 14 (6.3%) major complications related to IABP treatment that required operative treatment. The 1-year survival for patients surviving the initial 30 days after coronary artery bypass grafting was 95.2%. Independent predictors of 1-year mortality (Cox regression) were age, previous cardiac surgery, critical preoperative state, and conservative medical treatment. Timing (preoperative, intraoperative, postoperative) of IABP treatment did not predict survival.

Conclusions: IABP treatment was safe with few serious complications. Timing of IABP placement was not related to survival. Survival at 1-year follow-up was excellent after an initially high mortality for cardiac surgical patients treated for hemodynamic compromise with aortic counterpulsation.