Patients with Abnormal Heartbeat After Bypass at Higher Risk of Death

Almost 50 percent of patients who undergo bypass surgery on their heart develop atrial fibrillation, a disorder in which the heart's two small upper chambers (the atria) quiver instead of beating effectively, allowing blood clots to form, according to the American Heart Association. This abnormality in the heartbeat of many bypass patients has long been thought of as a brief problem that surgeons usually disregard. However, a new study conducted by Dr. Giovanni Filardo, director of the department of epidemiology at the Baylor University Medical Center Institute for Health Care Research and Improvement, along with colleagues, has found that patients that develop atrial fibrillation after bypass surgery are at a greater long-term risk of death. Researchers looked at data on nearly 7,000 patients who underwent bypass surgery between 1997 and 2006 at Baylor. After reviewing the collected data, researchers reported a 29 percent higher death rate for patients that did not have atrial fibrillation before their surgery but subsequently developed the disorder. Those patients that did develop this type of heartbeat abnormality had a 10-year mortality rate of 47.7 percent, which is significantly higher than the rate of 30.6 percent for patients that did not develop the disorder.

Researchers involved in the study reported that it is still unclear whether atrial fibrillation is the direct cause for this increased risk of death, or whether it is indicative of some other problem. However, Filardo and his team are already planning their next study, which will focus on determining whether an increased risk of death after heart bypass surgery is caused by this heartbeat abnormality. For this new study, which they hope to start early next year, the participant group will only consist of patients who did not have atrial fibrillation before they underwent bypass surgery. As with any procedure, mistakes are possible during heart bypass surgery, especially if a doctor is negligent during the operation. If you or a loved one was injured by surgical malpractice in New York City or Long Island, please call or e-mail our surgery malpractice lawyers today for a free consultation with our experienced surgical malpractice attorneys. Our firm serves clients with Bronx surgical malpractice, Brooklyn surgical malpractice, Queens surgical malpractice, Long Island surgical malpractice and Manhattan surgical malpractice cases.

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