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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2001;19:460-463
© 2001 Elsevier Science NL

Fast track as a routine for open heart surgery

Heart Center Varde, 6800 Varde, Denmark

Received 4 October 2000; received in revised form 26 January 2001; accepted 5 February 2001.

Corresponding author. Tel.: +45-76-950100; fax: +45-75-222277
e-mail: sten{at}bypass.dk

Objective: Evaluation of thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA), normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and normothermic blood cardioplegia as a routine procedure for fast track open heart surgery. Methods: Consecutive patients (n=250, age 36–81 years, mean 63, M/F, ratio=4) were subjected to the combination of general anaesthesia using ultra-short acting opiates, TEA, normothermic CBP, normothermic whole blood cardioplegia. Operative procedures included coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), valve replacement, combined CABG and valves, aortic aneurysm and Maze III. LVEF ranged 20–76%. Eighty percent were in Tuman score 0–5 and 20% in score >5. Results: All patients were extubated within 10 min after skin closure. There was one myocardial infarction. Four percent were shortly treated with cathecholamines. Postoperative atrial fibrillation was noticed in 9.6%. Four transient cerebral ischemic events were encountered. No neurological disturbance related to the use of TEA was seen. Seven patients were reoperated because of bleeding. Blood transfusion was given to 6.4% of the patients. Mortality was 0.8%. Conclusions: The combined methods provides a way for routine immediate postoperative extubation, with low morbidity and short hospital stay.

Key Words: Fast track surgery • Thoracic epidural catheter • Normothermia • Blood cardioplegia

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