title: Influence of gender on postoperative outcome after intra-aortic balloon counter-pulsation and cardiac surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Female gender is an established risk factor for worse outcomes after cardiac surgery, and women are more likely to experience postoperative complications. Our aim was to analyze the influence of gender on outcome and postoperative complications after the use of intra-aortic balloon counter-pulsation (IABP) in cardiac surgery patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven consecutive female patients (mean age: 73 ± 9 years) requiring an IABP at our department from January 2007 to January 2010 were retrospectively analyzed and compared with 182 male patients receiving IABP support within the same period. The collected data included patient demographics, preoperative state, operative details, postoperative pharmacological treatment, IABP-associated complications, and inhospital mortality. Preoperative mortality risk was calculated by logistic EuroSCORE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences regarding the type of operation, preoperative renal or hepatic failure, though the prevalence of peripheral artery occlusive disease was higher in men. Furthermore, female patients receiving an IABP were significantly older (73 ± 9 vs. 67 ± 10 years), had a higher ejection fraction (EF) (45% ± 24% vs. 36% ± 14%), and had a higher EuroSCORE (25% ± 20% vs. 19% ± 17%; p < 0.05). Postoperative catecholamine support was significantly higher in the female patients. Women had a prolonged length of stay (LOS) at the ICU (10.64 ± 9.7 vs. 7.6 ± 7.6 days), higher incidence of renal replacement therapy, and a higher mortality (19 [19.4%] vs. 35 [33.9%]; p < 0.05) after the use of IABP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women have a worse outcome after the use of IABP, including LOS at the ICU, postoperative renal failure, and inhospital mortality, despite higher EF, when compared with men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, JW Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany. Andres.Beiras@kgu.de
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beiras-Fernandez
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kammerer
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Heinz
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kur
authors.forename: Arndt-Holger
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kiessling
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weis
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hagl
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Weis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007423:Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome