Abstract： Objective To analyze clinical outcomes of intra-aortic balloon pump （IABP） application for high-risk patients before undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting （OPCAB）， and summarize our experience and weaning indications of IABP. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 102 high-risk patients with coronary artery disease who underwent IABP implantation before OPCAB from January 2008 to July 2011 in Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University. There were 71 male patients and 31 female patients with their average age of 63.0±8.2 years in this IABP group. We also chose another 100 patients without IABP implantation before undergoing OPCAB as the control group， including 55 male patients and 45 female patients with their average age of 64.1±9.5 years. Postoperative systolic arterial blood pressure （SABP）， mean arterial blood pressure （MABP）， mechanical ventilation time， length of intensive care unit（ICU） stay， morbidity， duration of IABP treatment and in-hospital mortality of two groups were compared. Left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF） was evaluated with echocardiography 3 months after surgery. Results Postoperative SABP （95.3±12.2 mm Hg vs. 80.1±11.7 mm Hg；t=8.440， P=0.000） and MABP （78.9±13.5 mm Hg vs. 52.3±15.1 mm Hg； t=12.410， P=0.000） of the IABP group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Mechanical ventilation time， length of ICU stay and duration of inotropic support of the IABP group were significantly shorter than those of the control group. The incidence of ventricular arrhythmia， low cardiac output syndrome， perioperative myocardial infarction and dialysis-requiring acute kidney failure of the IABP group were significantly lower than those of the control group. In-hospital mortality of the IABP group was significantly lower than that of the control group ［5.9% （6/102） vs. 17.0% （17/100）， χ 2 =6.180， P=0.020］. Ninety-six patients in the IABP group and 83 patients in the control group were followed up for 3 months. Three months after surgery， echocardiography showed that LVEF of the IABP group was significantly higher than that of the control group（45.3%±12.0% vs. 39.1%±8.2%， t=3.950， P=0.000）. Conclusion Preoperative prophylactic IABP implantation and optimal timing of weaning from IABP support can not only significantly reduce surgical risk and improve surgical outcomes and postoperative recovery of high-risk patients undergoing OPCAB， but also considerably ameliorate patient heart function and reduce perioperative morbidity and mortality.