Impact of pulmonary hypertension on cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a frequent condition in patients with congenital heart diseases and left ventricle diseases. Preoperative PH causes higher mortality rate after heart surgery and adverse cardiac events. METHODS: We performed a prospective study which included 159 patients with preoperative PH that had undergone cardiac surgery between November 2008 and November 2011 in the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of Ia i. 28 patients had class 1.4.4 pulmonary artery hypertension (due to congenital cardiac shunts) and 131 patients had class 2 PH (due to left heart diseases). The preoperative echocardiography included: assessment of the left ventricular volume and ejection fraction, systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery; right ventricular end-diastolic diameter; right atrium area indexed for body surface area; pulmonary acceleration/ejection time ratio; TAPSE; determination of the severity of the associated tricuspid regurgitation; pericardial fluid presence. The primary endpoint was perioperative mortality; the secondary endpoints included: pericardial, pleural, hepatic or renal complications; the need for a new surgical procedure; postoperative mechanical ventilation > 24 hours; intensive care unit length of stay; postoperative inotropic support duration; the need for intra-aortic balloon pump; the need for pulmonary vasodilator drugs. RESULTS: The mortality rate was 2.51% and was statistically associated with NYHA IV preoperative class, the pulmonary acceleration/ejection time ratio, TAPSE, the presence of pericardial fluid, the indexed area of the right atrium and the concomitant CABG. Severe pulmonary hypertension(sPAP > 60 mmHg) is associated with significant mortality rate increase, longer hospitalization in the intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation over 24 hours, lengthy inotropic support and renal, hepatic and pericardial complications. Residual PH and perioperative right ventricle dysfunction are common clinical entities after cardiac surgery, with important prognostic implications. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary hypertension and right ventricle dysfunction are strong negative prognostic factor for cardiac surgery. The surgical procedure should be done in the early stages of pulmonary hypertension. Echocardiography is an useful, simple and reproducible tool, able to classify the operative risk.