Coronary revascularization and adverse events in joint arthroplasty.

Background: There is a paucity of literature about outcome of total joint arthroplasty in patients with the history of angioplasty and/or stent or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). The present study aimed to evaluate perioperative complications and mortality in these patients.

Methods: We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample data from 2002-2011. Using the Ninth Revision of the International Classification of Disease, Clinical Modification codes for disorders and procedures, we identified patients with a history of coronary revascularization (angioplasty and/or stent or CABG) and compared the inhospital adverse events in these patients with patients without a history of coronary revascularization.

Results: Cardiac complications occurred in 1.06% patients with a history of CABG; 0.95% of patients with a coronary angioplasty and/or stent and 0.82% of the control patients. In the multivariate analysis, neither the history of CABG (P = 0.07) nor the history of angioplasty and/or stenting (P = 0.86) was associated with a higher risk of cardiac complications. However, myocardial infarction occurred in a significantly higher proportion of patients with the history of CABG (0.66%, odds ratio, 1.24, P = 0.001) and coronary angioplasty and/or stenting (0.67%, odds ratio, 1.96, P < 0.001) compared with that in the controls (0.27%). History of coronary revascularization did not increase the risk of respiratory, renal, and wound complications, surgical site infection, and mortality.

Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study, it appears that there is no increased risk of inhospital mortality and complications (except for myocardial infarction) in patients with a history of coronary artery revascularization undergoing total joint arthroplasty. We also found perioperative cardiac arrhythmia, particularly atrial fibrillation, to be an independent predictor of inhospital adverse events.