Troponin T as a marker of perioperative myocardial cell damage

Unstable angina in patients undergoing CABG surgery is associated with a higher morbidity and mortality compared to patients with stable angina. Mortality ranges between 2 and 10% (20, 21). The importance of the preoperative status is only clear and well documented for patients with unstable angina who are unresponsive to medical treatment, patients who undergo emergency revascularization, and for patients with failed angioplasty. The adverse outcome in elective patients with unstable angina was statistically not significantly different from those with stable angina. Therefore, we may assume that in stabilized patients with unstable angina and minor myocardial cell damage intraoperative determinants like the duration of the aortic clamping period or the degree of revascularization are more relevant than the preoperative ones. These determinants may also be reflected by a marked and significant increase of troponin T in both groups during and after surgery. As for other cardiac enzymes, this increase of troponin T beginning immediately after reperfusion of the cardioplegic heart may limit its diagnostic value after cardiac surgery (6,22). On the other hand, troponin T may serve as a marker in assessing the effectiveness of different cardioprotective measures. Nevertheless, preoperatively elevated troponin T levels may indicate a jeopardized myocardium with an ongoing process of myocardial cell damage and may be of prognostic value. Antianginal and antiischemic therapy, therefore, has to be continued and completed until the day of surgery in these high-risk patients.