[Retrospective analysis of perioperative cardiovascular complications in patients with low left ventricular function...

Regarding patients for noncardiac surgery with low left ventricular function, we have little information about perioperative cardiovascular complications, making it difficult to evaluate such patients preoperatively and to inform them of their perioperative course.

We retrospectively investigated the patients undergoing noncardiac surgery under general anesthesia in our hospital from January 2008 to December 2011. The subjects were 52 patients with low left ventricular function defined as left ventricular ejection fraction under 40%. Patients with perioperative complications were compared with those without them in about 14 factors which might influence their perioperative course.

Only one patient had severe hypotension intraoperatively. Postoperatively, five patients had cardiovascular complications in a week and three more in a month. Compared with those with complications and those without them, significant differences were found in 3 of 14 factors : type of surgery (P = 0.006), operation time (P = 0.013), and amount of intraoperative transfusion (P = 0.039).

Regarding patients for noncardiac surgery with low left ventricular function, high risk of perioperative cardiovascular complications was found in a surgery which is highly invasive, long lasting, or requiring massive transfusion.