[SPCCTV and SPC Recommendations Related to the Waiting Times for Cardiac Surgery]

Appointed jointly by the Portuguese Society for Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (SPCCTV) and by the Portuguese Society of Cardiology (SPC), the Working Group related to the Waiting Times for Cardiac Surgery was created with the aim of developing practical recommendations about clinically acceptable waiting times for the three critical phases of the care of adults with a cardiac disease that require surgery or an intervention: cardiology appointments; diagnostic process and invasive therapy. Cardiac surgery has its own characteristics, not comparable to other surgical specialties and, therefore, it is important to reduce its maximum waiting times and, also, increase the efficacy of the systems which are responsible to monitor and trace the patient. The information given in this document was based, mostly, in available clinical information. The methodology used to establish the criteria was based on studies regarding disease's natural history, clinical studies that compared medical treatment with intervention, retrospective and prospective analysis of patients included on a waiting list, and experts or working groups' opinions. After this first step, marked by this publication, the SPCCTV and the SPC PSC should be considered as natural interlocutors about this matter and they are committed to decisively contribute to the definition of operational strategies through the adaption of the clinical evidence with reality and with the available resources.