Background: Despite the increasing number of patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) requiring coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), studies on the impact of these procedures on surgical revascularisation outcomes are sparse. Furthermore, advances in cardiology require reassessment of their potential prognostic significance.

Aim: We sought to assess the influence of previous PCI on CABG outcomes.

Methods: A total of 211 consecutive patients scheduled for CABG were enrolled into this prospective study. Patients after PCI (group 1, n = 99) were compared with subjects with no history of PCI (group 2, n = 112) in terms of preoperative, operative, and postoperative data. All the patients were followed-up for the incidence of in-hospital (cardiogenic shock, myocardial infarction, stroke, acute renal failure, reoperation, death) and long-term (overall mortality, occlusion of at least one graft in 64-row computed tomography) clinical endpoints.

Results: Group 1 had more advanced heart failure and coronary artery disease as reflected by New York Heart Association (2.43 ± 0.57 vs. 2.17 ± 0.68; p < 0.001) and Canadian Cardiovascular Society (2.44 ± 0.59 vs. 2.03 ± 0.65; p < 0.001) scales, respectively. Compared with group 2, longer aortic cross-clamp (33.5 ± 9.9 vs. 29.5 ± 8.4; p < 0.05) and cardiopul­monary bypass (67.5 ± 28.2 vs. 56.5 ± 17.9; p < 0.001) times were observed as well as a higher number of implanted grafts (3.0 ± 0.7 vs. 2.8 ± 0.70; p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in terms of in-hospital clinical endpoints. During 12 ± 3.41 months of follow-up group 1 had higher mortality (5.05% vs. 0%; p < 0.05) but similar graft patency.

Conclusions: “Stent-loaded” patients undergo more time-consuming CABG with a higher number of grafts. Furthermore, they have higher long-term mortality but similar graft patency and in-hospital mortality/morbidity.