title: Open-heart operations in patients with a spinal cord injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of our study was to evaluate the outcomes of open-heart surgery in patients with a spinal cord injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of all patients (n = 8) with a spinal cord injury who underwent open-heart operations in a single institution from April 1994 to November 2006 was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients had a permanent spinal cord injury with levels ranging from T3 to L2 with a mean age of 62 years (range, 47-72). Seven coronary artery bypass operations and 2 aortic valve replacements were performed. The mean cardiac ejection fraction was 44% (range, 20-60). Seventy-five percent of the patients were extubated within 24 hours of the operation. A decubitus ulcer occurred in only 1 patient. The acute hospital stay averaged 14 days (range, 6-36). One patient died from multiorgan failure on postoperative day 13 giving an in-hospital 30-day mortality of 12.5%. The 5-year survival was 75% with a mean follow-up of 67 months (range, .5-129).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Open-heart operations in patients with a spinal cord injury can be performed safely with acceptable early and late outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Blvd, OCL 112, Houston, TX 77030, USA. dchumd@gmail.com
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Faisal G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Bakaeen
authors.forename: Salwa A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shenaq
authors.forename: Miran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ribati
authors.forename: Prasad V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Atluri
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome