Cardio Thoracic Surgery 2020 Conference, Hong Kong, March 16-17, 2020.
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| S. Chris Malaisrie, MD, from Northwestern Medicine in Chicago |
Patients who undergo open heart surgery and head home 3 days later are not at increased risk for complications, according to a scientific presentation at the 56th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
"We have shown that long hospital stays after heart surgery are no longer necessary, and patients can go home safely after just a few days in the hospital," said S. Chris Malaisrie, MD, from Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. "This information helps pave the way for the introduction of a cardiac enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program, proving that the use of such a strategy is feasible."
Dr. Malaisrie and colleagues identified patients who underwent nonemergency coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery and valve surgery between July 2004 and June 2017 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Researchers examined data from 478 patients. The patients were separated into two groups: 357 patients with a length of stay (LOS) greater than 3 days and 121 patients with a LOS less than 3 days. Aside from postoperative atrial fibrillation rates (2% in the ?3 day LOS group and 19% in the >3 day LOS group), rates of other complications, 30-day readmissions, and mortality rates were comparable.
"Patients can go home after a shorter length of stay in the hospital without increased risk of complications and rehospitalizations," said Dr. Malaisrie. "Because we found no detrimental effect of accelerated discharge, both patients and physicians should not be averse to discharging patients when medically ready."
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