ObjectiveTo compare early postoperative outcomes of Chinese patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) with or without preoperative discontinuation of aspirin. MethodsClinical data of 354 patients who underwent elective OPCAB in Department of Cardiac Surgery, People's Hospital of Peking University from 2011 to 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 132 patients during year 2011 who discontinued aspirin more than 5 days before OPCAB and were defined as a discontinuation group, including 93 males and 39 females with their age of 36-83 (61.70±8.74) years. There were 222 patients during year 2012 who continued aspirin treatment before OPCAB and were defined as an aspirin group, including 162 males and 60 females with their age of 37-82 (63.26±8.94) years. Postoperative chest drainage, incidence of reexploration for bleeding, in-hospital morbidity and mortality were compared between the 2 groups. Serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels during 4-6 hours, 12-18 hours and 24-48 hours after OPCAB were also compared. ResultsPreoperative clinical characters were not statistically different between the 2 groups (P>0.05). Average number of grafts in the discontinuation group was significantly smaller than that in the aspirin group (3.00±0.89 vs. 3.43±0.93, P=0.001). There was no significant difference in postoperative chest drainage (1 063.75±511.50 ml vs. 1 131.35±460.13 ml, P=0.201), incidence of reexploration for bleeding(0 case vs. 1 case, P=1.000), perioperative myocardial infarction(2 cases vs. 1 case, P=0.647), postoperative acute renal failure(4 cases vs. 7 cases, P=1.000), stroke(1 case vs. 4 cases, P=0.726), mechanical ventilation time(41.46±85.50 hours vs. 52.07±143.59 hours, P=0.441), length of ICU stay(81.46±116.90 hours vs. 79.07±136.43 hours, P=0.867), or in-hospital mortality(0.8% vs. 0.9%, P=1.000)between the 2 groups. Serum cTnI levels during 4-6 hours after OPCAB were not statistically different between the 2 groups (P=0.506). Serum cTnI levels during 12-18 hours and 24-48 hours after OPCAB were statistically different between the 2 groups (P=0.002 and P=0.000). The percentages of patients with cTnI level higher than 4.0 ng/ml during 12-18 hours and 24-48 hours after OPCAB in the aspirin group were significantly lower than those in the discontinuation group (5.4% vs. 16.7%, P=0.001;5.9% vs. 17.4%, P=0.000). ConclusionOPCAB without preoperative discontinuation of aspirin does not increase the risk of postoperative bleeding, in-hospital morbidity or mortality, but can decrease postoperative myocardial injury of Chinese patients undergoing OPCAB.