Women with heart disease less likely to have concomitant problems corrected during surgery - study

During heart surgery, surgeons may find that a patient has another problem. Depending on what they see, the surgical team may treat the secondary condition during the same surgery.

These are sometimes referred to as concomitant procedures. However, two studies conducted by Michigan Medicine found that patients who underwent heart surgery were less likely to have secondary conditions eliminated during the procedure, despite recommendations that suggest this

The first study involved more than 5,000 patients with atrial fibrillation - a heart rhythm disorder that can lead to stroke if left untreated - who underwent heart bypass surgery or aortic valve replacement at nearly three dozen Michigan hospitals between 2014 and 2022.

According to the results, published in the Journal of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, 67% of male patients received simultaneous atrial fibrillation treatment compared to 59% of female patients.

Atrial fibrillation is among the most common comorbidities found in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Women are more likely to experience complications of atrial fibrillation, including stroke.

Atrial fibrillation is among the most common comorbidities found in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Women are more likely to experience complications of atrial fibrillation, including stroke.

In the second study, a team of scientists looked at about 400 people who underwent mitral valve surgery between 2014 and 2023. These patients also had moderate to severe leakage, or regurgitation, from the tricuspid valve at the time of surgery.

The findings, published in Annals of Thoracic Surgery, show that women are 52% less likely than men to undergo tricuspid valve repair during mitral valve surgery.

Meanwhile, three-quarters of male patients underwent tricuspid valve repair surgery, compared to 57% of female patients.

Using a risk model, the researchers also found that female patients were more likely to have severe tricuspid regurgitation or required valve-related reoperation four years later.

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