A study published in the HSS Journal by Hospital for Special Surgery researches found a high incidence of cardiac complications in orthopedic surgery patients with heart disease.
Hospital for Special Surgery researchers recommend a blood test to measure troponin to help identify patients who are at a greater risk of a cardiac event following surgery.
Here are four key statistics:
1. During the one year period, 10,267 inpatient orthopedic procedures were performed and 805 patients were identified as at-risk for postoperative myocardial ischemia.
2. Of the at-risk patients, approximately 20 percent had elevated troponin levels, but less than 9 percent had troponin levels suggestive of myocardial injury.
3. Of patients with elevated troponin levels, 31 percent had postoperative cardiac complications.
4. Nearly 90 percent of myocardial ischemic events occurred by the third day post surgery.