Background: Increased serum lactate during cardio-pulmonary bypass is associated with high mortality and cardiac complications up to 10-20 percent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of serum lactate increase on postoperative outcomes after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) Surgery.

Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on cases (no=116) undergoing CABG at Beheshti hospital in Kashan between 2013-2014. Demographic data, variables related to surgery, serum lactate level and the time of tracheal extubation, length of stay in intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital post-surgery left ventricular ejection fraction were collected. These data was compared in two groups: Normal serum lactate (< 2 m molliter) and Hyperlactatemia (> 2 m molliter) group.

Results: The postoperative hyperlactatemia was observed in 62.1 % of patients. There were no significant differences between two groups in time of tracheal extubation, length of stay in ICU and hospital. There was a relationship between the mean postoperative serum lactate and blood sugar, bicarbonate, pH, length of cardiopulmonary bypass and the aortic cross clamping time. There was a significant relationship between the serum lactate increment and the left ventricular ejection fraction decrement.

Conclusion: Hyperlactatemia is probably associated with such important factors as high blood sugar, longer duration of aortic cross clamp and cardio-pulmonary bypass time. So controlling such factors can reduce the rate of hyperlactatemia and help postoperative recovery.