When operating on the heart, surgeons may find another issue in the patient. Depending on what they see, the surgical team may address on the secondary condition during the same operation. These are sometimes called concomitant procedures.
However, two studies led by Michigan Medicine find that female patients who undergo heart surgery are less likely to have secondary ailments corrected during a procedure -; despite guidelines that indicate they should. "Across the spectrum of cardiovascular care, from medical management to transcatheter and surgical procedures, there is growing evidence that women are undertreated," said Catherine M. Wagner, M.
D., first author of both papers and an integrated thoracic surgery resident at University of Michigan Health. Our work highlights opportunities to improve guideline recommended care in a way that reduces existing disparities.
" Catherine M. Wagner, University of Michigan Health The first study examined over 5,000 patients with atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm irregularity that can cause stroke if not treated, who underwent heart bypass or aortic valve replacement surgery at nearly three dozen Michigan hospitals between 2014 and 2022. The data was gathered through the Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons Quality Collaborative.
While guidelines recommend repair of atrial fibrillation during cardiac surgery, female patients with preoperative Afib were 26% less likely to have it corrected during the procedure after a.
