Objective: Aim of our retrospective study is to investigate the impact of smoking status on preoperative profile and on postoperative outcome.
Methods: A total of 964 patients underwent cardiac surgery procedures from May 2012 to September 2014. Patients were divided in three categories based on their preoperative smoking status: nonsmokers (Group A, n=282), current smokers (Group B, n=15) and ex-smokers (Group C, n=667). The following preoperative patients’ characteristics were recorded: age, body mass index (BMI), obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Euroscore II (predictive score), diabetes mellitus and ejection fraction (EF). Postoperative adverse events and mortality were also recorded: use of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), low cardiac output syndrome, atrial fibrillation, acute kidney injury, re-intubation, acute respiratory failure managed by noninvasive ventilation, pneumonia, prolonged mechanical ventilation (>48 hours), stroke and death. Statistical analysis based on one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) method while differences between groups were analyzed by the post hoc test. COPD and non-COPD percentages were analyzed by the χ2 test.
Results: No statistical significant correlation in postoperative adverse events and mortality was found between the groups. The only exception was the use of IABP which was more common in patients with a history of smoking (P<
0.05). Statistical significant correlation was revealed in the following preoperative patients’ profile characteristics: age (P<
0.01), COPD (P=0.011) and EF (P=0.011).
Conclusions: According to our findings, preoperative smoking status has no impact on postoperative outcome in cardiac surgery patients. Patients with a history of smoking who underwent cardiac surgery procedures are younger, have lower ejection fraction and COPD is more common.
