In an article published in The New York Times, experts warned of the potential risks of coronary artery bypass grafting in female patients. During the procedure, surgeons use arteries from the arms or chest and veins from the legs to bypass blocked arteries and restore blood flow. However, male and female patients may experience different outcomes following coronary artery bypass grafting. Previous studies have found that female patients who undergo the procedure have a mortality rate of 2.8% vs 1.7% for male patients, and a postsurgical complication rate of 28% vs 20%—statistics that incorporate repeat surgeries, prolonged ventilator use, longer hospital visits, sternal wound infections, strokes, and kidney failure. These sex-related inequalities in patient outcomes have been known for about 40 years and have persisted in female patients despite advancements in technology.

One such patient, 61-year-old Cynthia Mosson, explained that she felt pain in her left shoulder that began to migrate down her left arm. After alerting her family, she was rushed to the hospital, where she was told she had experienced a mild heart attack. Her physicians discovered severe blockages in her coronary arteries and recommended a quadruple bypass. Although the procedure was successful, Ms. Mosson was readmitted to the hospital to resolve fluid in her lungs and was enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program to help her recover. She currently struggles with depression, anxiety, and fear that she will experience another heart attack.

The experts noted that because female patients present with different symptoms than male patients—differences that are not often taught in medical schools—they tend to be up to 5 years older when undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. As a result, female patients may be more likely to have preexisting comorbidities that increase the procedure’s risks. Further, female patients only comprise about 20% of those participating in clinical trials related to the procedure, representing a critical research gap. A team of researchers recently discovered that almost 40% of female patients who died during coronary artery bypass grafting may have experienced intraoperative anemia. “This is something modifiable,” the researchers emphasized, recommending that surgeons consider using smaller cardiopulmonary bypass machines while maintaining blood oxygenation in female patients. Since the discovery, researchers have launched new clinical trials with the aim of improving outcomes in female patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.