title: Incidence and Predictors of Cardiovascular Complications and Death after Vascular Surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients undergoing arterial vascular surgery are considered at increased risk for post-operative complications.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the incidence and predictors of complications and death, as well as the performance of two models of risk stratification, in vascular surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study determined the incidence of cardiovascular complications and deaths within 30 days from surgery in adults. Univariate comparison and logistic regression assessed the risk factors associated with the outcomes, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve assessed the discriminatory capacity of the revised cardiac risk index (RCRI) and vascular study group of New England cardiac risk index (VSG-CRI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  141 patients (mean age, 66 years; 65% men) underwent the following surgeries: carotid (15); lower limbs (65); abdominal aorta (56); and others (5). Cardiovascular complications and death occurred within 30 days in 28 (19.9%) and 20 (14.2%) patients, respectively. The risk predictors were: age, obesity, stroke, poor functional capacity, altered scintigraphy, surgery of the aorta, and troponin change. The scores RCRI and VSG-CRI had area under the curve of 0.635 and 0.639 for early cardiovascular complications, and 0.562 and 0.610 for death in 30 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this small and selected group of patients undergoing arterial vascular surgery, the incidence of adverse events was elevated. The risk assessment indices RCRI and VSG-CRI did not perform well for complications within 30 days.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitário, USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana Andrea Avena
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Smeili
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitário, USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Andrade
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lotufo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality*