title: Body Mass Index or Serum Albumin Levels: Which is further Prognostic following Cardiac Surgery?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with low serum albumin and abnormal BMI may be at the risk of death and other complications after surgery. This could be remarkable in patients with coronary arteries bypass graft surgery. Therefore, we decided to evaluate the impact of these factors associated with survival and outcome after cardiac surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed from 2009 until 2012 on 345 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafts. Also Patients were monitored for a year. Patients' information was collected and then the patients were analyzed for body mass index (BMI) and serum albumin and their effects on postoperative outcomes. P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mortality after CABG operation was not of a significant relation in patients with low BMI (BMI <20), normal and high (BMI> 30). Obese patients are more susceptible to myocardial infarction in postoperative period (P=0.02). Pneumonia after surgery in these patients was more common than others (P= 0.023); however, low serum albumin was significantly associated with mortality following operation (P<0.001). Reoperation due to bleeding (P<0.001) and required mechanical ventilation for more than a day (P=0.019) were significantly associated with low serum albumin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, the high or low BMI alone did not increase mortality after cardiac surgery. However, postoperative morbidity in obese patients may be greater than others. Low serum albumin may increase the risk of mortality and postoperative complications as well. Therefore, it seems ameliorating serum albumin can be effective more than body mass index in improving the outcome of patients after CABG surgery.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Montazerghaem
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Safaie
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Samiei Nezhad
keywords: Body Mass Index; Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Prognosis; Serum Albumin