Timing of Surgery for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

In this issue of the Journal, Rohn et al. report their experience with urgent coronary bypass graft surgery (CABG) for patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI), operated within 24hours of the onset of symptoms [1]. This usually occurred in the situation where percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with balloon or stent had either failed or was not possible. They report their results on 135 patients, documenting an early mortality of 8.1%, and demonstrating that the major risk factor for early death is poor haemodynamic status at presentation, measured as either Killip class or with cardiogenic shock.
Source: Heart, Lung and Circulation - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research