Preexisting heart failure is an underestimated risk factor in cardiac surgery.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Heart failure is characterised as a strong risk factor for systemic failure after cardiac surgery. However, the impact has never been substantiated.

Methods

Patients with heart failure (n = 48) - scheduled for elective ventricular reconstruction or external constraint device-were compared with a one-to-one matched control group of patients without heart failure undergoing cardiac surgery between 2006 and 2009.

Results

As expected, patients with heart failure more frequently experienced complications definitely related to pump failure (p = 0.01). However, complications not related to their pump failure were also more often observed, such as prolonged mechanical ventilation, sepsis and vasoplegia (p = 0.01). Overall, organ dysfunction-circulatory, renal, and

SUBMITTER: Kortekaas KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3346868 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature