Role of preoperative cardiology consultation in patients undergoing cancer surgery

Abstract

To evaluate the effects of preoperative cardiology consultation on the risk of perioperative cardiac complications in patients undergoing cancer surgery. 74 patients with bronchial, lung, mediastinal and gastrointestinal cancer were referred to the cardiologist as a part of the preoperative management. Patients were assigned either to Group 1 (n=21), who required non - invasive testing or invasive coronary angiography (CAG), or to Group 2 (n=53), who did not have any indications to additional testing. The median age was 65.8 years in Group 1 and 64.5 years in Group 2, p=0.408. Group 1 patients had higher RCRI than Group 2 patients (7.4±4.5 vs. 2.9±4.5, respectively, p=0.002). Four (19.05%) patients in Group 1 underwent minimally invasive examination without any further indications to CAG. 16 (76.2%) patients underwent CAG. Of them, 5 (23.8%) patients had severe coronary artery stenosis, and 4 (19.0%) patients had severe brachycephalic artery stenosis (≥50%). After CAG findings, one carotid artery and three coronary arteries (14.3%) were stented. Drug therapy was prescribed to one patient. One patient required stenting after the treatment of the underlying disease. Group 2 patients were more likely to achieve the endpoints - heart rhythm disturbances, decompensation of chronic heart failure, cardiac death (5.45% in Group 2 vs. 4.76% in Group 1, p>0.05). Multivariate analysis reported that angina pectoris was an independent factor to refer patients to the additional testing (p.