Relative risk of aortic and femoral insertion of intraaortic balloon pump after coronary artery bypass grafting procedures.

We compared the preoperative, operative, and postoperative characteristics of patients who required balloon pumps after coronary artery bypass graft procedures to determine the relative risks of femoral and aortic insertion. The balloon pump was inserted into the ascending aorta when femoral insertion was not possible because of occlusive disease or small femoral arteries. Femoral insertion was performed in 81 patients and aortic insertion in 42 patients. Patients with aortic insertion were more likely to be small and female (p < 0.05) and were more likely to have carotid bruits and a history of strokes or transient ischemic attacks (p < 0.05). Death was more common in the patients with aortic insertion (18/42, 42.9%) than in those with femoral insertion (19/81, 23.4%) (p < 0.05), as calculated with single regression analysis. Route of insertion was not a predictor of operative death, according to multiple regression analysis. Leg complications were more common in patients with femoral artery insertion (23/81, 28.4%) than in those with aortic insertion (0/42, 0.0%) (p < 0.05). No sternal complications occurred in either group. New neurologic abnormalities were not significantly different between the patients with aortic and femoral insertion. Aortic insertion is a safe alternative to femoral insertion of intraaortic balloon pumps and is associated with fewer leg complications in small or diseased iliac and femoral arteries. The greater mortality rate with aortic insertion is related to greater comorbidity rate in these patients.