Sarcopenia assessed by the quantity and quality of skeletal muscle is a prognostic factor for patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

PURPOSE: Sarcopenia was assessed as a prognostic factor for patients undergoing cardiac surgery by evaluating the quantity and quality of skeletal muscle. METHODS: Sarcopenia was assessed by perioperative abdominal computed tomography using the total psoas muscle index (TPI) and intra-muscular adipose tissue content (IMAC). Patients were classified into high- (HT, n = 143) and low- (LT, n = 63) TPI groups and low- (LI, n = 122) and high- (HI, n = 84) IMAC groups. RESULTS: There were significantly more complications in the LT and HI groups than in the HT and LI groups. (HT 15.4% vs. LT 30.2%, P = 0.014) (LI 11.5% vs. HI 31.1%, P < 0.001). There were more respiratory complications in the LT group (HT 0% vs. LT 6.3%, P = 0.002) and more surgical site infections in the HI group than in the LI group (LI 0.8% vs. HI 7.1%, P = 0.014). A multivariable analysis showed that low TPI and high IMAC significantly predicted more major complications than other combinations (odds ratio [OR] 2.375; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.152-5.783; P = 0.036, OR 3.973; 95% CI 1.737-9.088; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia is a risk factor for complications. The quantity and quality of muscle must be assessed to predict operative outcomes. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: UMIN000027077.

Lung-diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide predicts early complications after cardiac surgery.

PURPOSE: Preoperative pulmonary dysfunction has been associated with increased operative mortality and morbidity after cardiac surgery. This study aimed to determine whether values for the diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) could predict postoperative complications after cardiac surgery. METHODS: This study included 408 consecutive patients who underwent cardiac surgery between June 2008 and December 2015. DLCO was routinely determined in all patients. A reduced DLCO was clinically defined as %DLCO < 70%. %DLCO was calculated as DLCO divided by the predicted DLCO. The association between %DLCO and in-hospital mortality was assessed, and independent predictors of complications were identified by a logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the 408 patients, 338 and 70 had %DLCO values of ≥ 70% and < 70%, respectively. Complications were associated with in-hospital mortality (P < 0.001), but not %DLCO (P = 0.275). A multivariate logistic regression analysis with propensity score matching identified reduced DLCO as an independent predictor of complications (OR, 3.270; 95%CI, 1.356-7.882; P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: %DLCO is a powerful predictor of postoperative complications. The preoperative DLCO values might provide information that can be used to accurately predict the prognosis after cardiac surgery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: UMIN000029985.