The importance of an organized follow-up for the evaluation of mortality after hospital discharge in cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVES

Does a structured follow-up, after cardiac surgery in an adult, provide additional information on the operation related mortality especially if mortality is used as an outcome parameter within the quality control?

METHOD

Mortality data of 1132 patients undergoing cardiac surgery in 2003 and 2004 in the Academic Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands were registered by a structured follow-up one year after surgery.

RESULTS

One year after surgery this follow-up is missing information for eight patients (0.7%). Six patients (0.5%) refused further follow-up. Of the 31 patients who died during the first postoperative year, 21 (68%) were registered thanks to this structured follow-up. In 29 patients it was possible to retrieve the cause of death.

CONCLUSION

A structured follow-up one year after cardiac surgery has a high response and not only provides a better total picture of mortality, but also information on the cause of death. Both aspects are important if mortality is used as a parameter for quality control in cardiac surgery.