Predictors of length of hospitalization after cardiac surgery

The cardiac surgical data base at Georgetown University Hospital was reviewed for patients operated on between January 1, 1980, and September 30, 1986, to determine predictions of length of postoperative hospitalization. Mortality among the 1,919 operations was 115 (6%). In the study group of 1,804 operations resulting in survival for at least 30 days, the following factors were analyzed: type of operation, age, sex, New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Class, urgency of operation, preoperative myocardial infarction (MI), weight, body surface area, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, previous cardiac operation, smoking history, and family history of cardiac disease. The overall mean length of hospitalization was 10.7 ± 5.6 days. The analyses indicated that valve operation, age less than 30 and greater than 60 years, female sex, NYHA Class IV, urgent operation, preoperative MI 1 to 4 weeks before operation, and diabetes mellitus requiring medical treatment prolonged hospitalization, but generally by only 2 days. Major prolongation of hospitalization was associated with age in the 20- to 30-year and 80- to 90-year brackets. Unexpectedly, heavy body weight and smoking were not predictive.