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Heart sounds are altered by open cardiac surgery
Anita Hurtig-Wennlöf1, Christer Ahlstrom, Rigmor Egerlid
1School of Health and Medical Sciences/Clinical Medicine, Orebro University, Orebro;
Experimental and Clinical Cardiology
|August 14, 2009
Summary
Cardiac surgery alters heart sounds, with changes measurable by frequency shifts. These objective findings align with patient perceptions of changed heart sounds post-coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Acoustics
Background:
- Patients report subjective changes in perceived heart sounds after open cardiac surgery.
- Previous anecdotal evidence suggests alterations in heart sound characteristics post-procedure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively investigate and measure changes in heart sounds following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
- To determine if subjective patient perceptions correlate with objective acoustic alterations.
Main Methods:
- Heart sounds were recorded from 57 patients undergoing CABG surgery and 10 control subjects.
- Analysis involved comparing Hjorth descriptors and main frequency peaks before and after surgery.
- Statistical analysis was used to identify significant changes in acoustic parameters.
Main Results:
- A significant alteration in the first heart sound was observed at a group level in patients post-CABG surgery.
- Heart sounds generally shifted towards a lower frequency in the CABG group after the procedure.
- No significant changes in heart sound characteristics were detected in the control group.
Conclusions:
- Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery leads to objectively quantifiable alterations in heart sounds.
- These acoustic changes may explain the subjective perceptions reported by patients.
- The study confirms that heart sound modifications after CABG are measurable phenomena.
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