title: Risk factors and outcomes of pancreatitis after open heart surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We sought to analyze the risk factors and natural history associated with post-cardiac surgery acute pancreatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of all patients having undergone cardiac surgery at our hospital between January 1, 1992, and October 1, 2001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 10,249 cardiac operations were performed. Thirty-nine (0.4%) patients developed postoperative pancreatitis. There was a higher incidence during the period spanning 1992 through 1996 than 1997 through 2001 (0.6% versus 0.2%, P< .05). Patients with pancreatitis had longer postoperative length of stay (51+/-5 days versus 10+/-1 days, P<.05) and a greater in-hospital mortality rate (28% versus 4%, P<.05) than patients who did not develop pancreatitis. A history of alcohol abuse, cardiac surgery performed during 1992 to 1996, increased cardiopulmonary bypass time, and increased cross-clamp time were independent risk factors for the development of pancreatitis. Multiple-organ failure was an independent predictor for death among patients with pancreatitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the frequency of post-cardiac surgery pancreatitis is diminishing, it is still associated with significant mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: Hiromichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Farivar
authors.forename: Lawrence H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Cohn
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rawn
authors.forename: Sary F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Aranki
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zinner
authors.forename: Nicholas L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Tilney
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: Stanley W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: Edward E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Whang
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D001900:Boston / Q000453:epidemiology; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors