title: Fast-track cardiac surgery in a Department of Veterans Affairs patient population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  "Fast-track" (FT) cardiac surgery is popular in the private and university sectors. This study was designed to examine its safety and efficacy in the Department of Veterans Affairs elderly, male patient population, a population with multiple comorbid risk factors, often decreased social functioning, and impaired support systems.
  
  
  METHODS
  Time to extubation, hospital length of stay, perioperative morbidity, and mortality were studied in two consecutive cohorts undergoing cardiac operations requiring cardiopulmonary bypass before (pre-FT: n = 255, January 1992 to September 1993) and after (FT: n = 304, October 1993 to October 1995) institution of an FT protocol at a university-affiliated teaching Department of Veterans Affairs medical center. Preoperative risk factors, including a Department of Veterans Affairs risk-adjusted estimate of operative mortality, and perioperative surgical and anesthetic processes of care were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean Department of Veterans Affairs risk estimate of perioperative mortality was not different between the pre-FT and FT cohorts (3.5% versus 3.7%, p = 0.13). In the FT cohort, median time to extubation decreased significantly (19.2 versus 10.2 hours; p < 0.001) along with median surgical intensive care unit stay (96 versus 49 hours; p < 0.001) and total postoperative length of stay (222 versus 167 hours; p < 0.001). Median postoperative day of hospital discharge decreased from day 10 to 7 (p < 0.001). One patient (0.3%) required emergent reintubation directly related to early extubation. Reintubation for medical reasons was unchanged between pre-FT and FT groups (6.3% versus 5.0%; p = 0.48). Postoperative morbidity was similar between groups except for nosocomial pneumonia, the rate of which decreased significantly in the FT cohort (14.7% versus 7.3%; p < 0.005). Thirty-day (3.9% versus 4.6%; p = 0.69) and 6-month mortality (6.7% versus 6.9%; p = 0.91) were unchanged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An FT cardiac surgery protocol has been instituted in a university-affiliated teaching Department of Veterans Affairs medical center, with decreased length of stay and no significant increase in postoperative morbidity, 30-day mortality, or 6-month mortality. It was associated with a lower rate of nosocomial pneumonia, a finding that must be validated in a prospective study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA. martin.london@uchsc.edu
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: London
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Shroyer
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jernigan
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fullerton
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wilcox
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baltz
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: MaWhinney
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hammermeister
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Grover
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D016507:Cardiology Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003120:Colorado / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors