Cardiac risk in abdominal aortic surgery

Seventy-eight patients were included in a prospective study of the cardiac risk in abdominal aortic surgery. The Goldman risk score and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification system were applied besides several individual clinical risk factors. Thirty-three patients developed some kind of cardiac event, 13 of which were myocardial infarctions leading to death in six patients. Computer aided stepwise logistic procedure was used to determine risk factors independently correlated with these complications. This study showed that the Goldman risk score, angina, hypertension and renal insufficiency were significantly correlated with postoperative cardiac complications while no correlations were demonstrated with history of myocardial infarction, chronic heart failure or the ASA score system. A high incidence of cardiac complications (32%) was also found in the low-risk category in the Goldman score system, which indicates the need for cardiac function tests before abdominal aortic surgery.