Abstract 12861: Demographics and Clinical Characteristics of Patients Presenting With Sinus Bradycardia After Bariatric Surgery

Abstract

Introduction: Sinus bradycardia following bariatric surgery has been described in current literature. Whether certain demographics and clinical characteristics affect this occurrence remains a topic of discussion. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that certain patient characteristics may affect the prevalence of sinus bradycardia after bariatric surgery. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis nested in a community cohort assessed 321 bariatric surgeries from 2012 to 2020. Due to incomplete data, 179 patients were excluded. A descriptive analysis was made using means and standard deviation (SD) for continuous variables and count and percentages for categorical variables. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated for associations with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and Student’s t-test was used to compare means. Results: For the categorical variables evaluated, only beta blocker usage was significantly different ( p = 0.014) with nearly a tripling of the estimated odds for bradycardia [OR: 2.702 (95%, CI: 1.291 - 5.658)]. For the quantitative measures, only the heart rates showed significant differences between the groups (with and without bradycardia) and they were significant at all follow-up times. Conclusions: Our study showed that sinus bradycardia is a common occurrence among patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The use of beta blockers was significantly predictive of bradycardia. Further studies are needed to evaluate the need for dose reduction or discontinuation of beta blockers in the perioperative period in select cases. Additionally, medical centers should be aware of this development to avoid over-treatment.