Health Risks After Surgery May Last for Years

Surgery patients may carry an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and possibly cancer for weeks or even years, reported scientists studying the unintended effects of surgery.

A few studies have been done across the broad spectrum of the topic, including whether short-term surgical complications, such as infections or pulmonary problems, predict an increase in long-term complications, and whether mutations in genes involved in inflammation result in higher stroke rates after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. These studies are providing mounting evidence that there are short-term and long-term increased risks, particularly for surgery patients with serious underlying disease, said Dr. Steffen E. Meiler, an anesthesiologist and vice chair for research in the department of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG, Augusta, USA). The remarks were made during a lecture given by Dr. Meiler at the 53rd annual meeting of the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists, held in Kobe (Japan) in June 2006.

Inflammation is a player in most major diseases, as is body temperature. If the core temperature of patients during surgery drops below 36?C, the complication rate from postoperative infections for certain surgical procedures may be as high as threefold. Infections and even cancer are also concerns post-surgically, as are blood transfusions and apparently volatile anesthetics that actually suppress the immune response. However, studies have shown that taking drugs such as statins and beta blockers can protect against some of this risk.

"The first insight we take away from this is that when bad things happen down the road, months, maybe even years later, that we cannot, as we have in the past, just attribute it to the natural course of illness,” said Dr. Meiler. "Giving beta blockers, statins, making sure your blood sugar doesn't rise during surgery, minimizing blood transfusions, these are all things that we have not paid enough attention to.”



Related Links:
Medical College of Georgia