Postoperative Weight Gain within Enhanced Recovery after Cardiac Surgery

Abstract

Optimal fluid therapy during perioperative care as part of enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery (ERACS) should improve the outcome. Our objective was finding out the effects of fluid overload on outcome and mortality within a well-established ERACS program. All consecutive patients undergoing cardiac surgery between January 2020 and December 2021 were enrolled. According to ROC curve analysis, a cut-off of ≥7 kg (group M, n = 1198) and p 2 = 0.16. Propensity score matching showed that increased weight gain was associated with a longer hospital length of stay (LOS) (L 8 [3] d vs. M 9 [6] d, p p p < 0.0001). Weight gain can easily represent fluid overload. Fluid overload after cardiac surgery is common and is associated with prolonged hospital LOS and increases the incidence of AKI.

Keywords

• ERACS enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery
• weight gain
• fluid overload
• postoperative outcome