CHARACTERIZING CARDIAC SURGERIES AND MORTALITY ASSESSMENT AT A NATIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR INSTITUTE, PERU, SOUTH AMERICA

Background: This research aims to provide an overview of cardiac surgeries, describe the processes involved in their performance, and evaluate the mortality rate associated with these procedures at the National Cardiovascular Institute of Peru, located in South America. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted using data from the EsSalud medical records program (SGSS) and the "Carlos Alberto Peschiera Carrillo" Cardiovascular Surgery Service at the National Cardiovascular Institute. The study included all patients over the age of eighteen who underwent cardiovascular surgery at the institute over the past twenty-two years. Data analysis focused on the outcomes of fifty-three cardiac surgical procedures and the associated mortality rate. Results: The study found that approximately 63.6% of patients underwent surgical procedures. Isolated valvular surgery was the most frequently performed operation, accounting for 27.0% of cases, followed by coronary revascularization surgery, which comprised 21.9% of procedures. The overall mortality rate for surgical procedures was 4.5%, with elective surgeries showing a mortality rate of 2.8% and emergency surgeries a significantly higher mortality rate of 14.3%. Postoperative complications included paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (14%) and surgical site infections (10.3%). Conclusion: Valvular surgery was the most commonly performed cardiovascular procedure, either alone or in combination with other treatments. Patients who received optimal treatment had favourable prognoses, with a reduced mortality rate of 2.8% for elective procedures. The study determined that the achieved mortality rate was adequate for a specialized reference centre.