2.3 | Outcomes and follow-up
Early post-operative outcomes were in-hospital mortality (from all causes) and major perioperative complications.
Late post-operative outcomes were all-cause mortality and need for reoperation.
Major perioperative complications were defined as a composite endpoint including at least one of the following in-hospital variables: low cardiac output syndrome (persistent cardiac index below 2.0L/min/m2 with use of high dose catecholamines and/or mechanical circulation support), myocardial infarction (Troponin values > 10 times the 99th percentile of upper reference limit in association with new Q waves), severe arrhythmia (arrhythmia with hemodynamic instability and need for urgent/emergent treatment), stroke, reoperation for bleeding, acute renal failure with need for haemodialysis, pulmonary complications (including pneumonia, respiratory failure with need for long-time invasive ventilation, non-invasive ventilation or reintubation) and sepsis (systemic inflammatory response syndrome in response to an infectious process).
Clinical records and National Data Base were used for long term follow-up. Median follow-up for survival was 3.8 years (IQR: 1.8-7.4) for 98% of patients and freedom from reoperation was 1.8 years (IQR:0.25-5.4) for 94.5%.