Clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic features in patients with major arterial vascular disease assigned to surgical revascularization [Klinische, elektro- und echokardiographische Charakteristika von Patienten mit arterieller Gefäßerkrankung und chirurgi-scher Indikation]

Background: Preoperative cardiac assessment may essentially contribute to estimate the operative risk in vascular surgery. This study was undertaken to depict the clinical conditions and cardiac status in patients before elective major vascular surgery. Patients and methods: 143 patients with asymptomatic critical aortic abdominal aneurysm, 119 with high-grade carotid stenosis, and 138 with advanced symptomatic ischemia due to peripheral artery disease were assigned to surgical revascularization. Preoperatively, all subjects completed detailed medical history, physical and laboratory examinations, electrocardiogram, and transthoracic echocardiography. Results: In patients with peripheral artery disease we identified more smokers (p<0.05), diabetes (p<0.01), hypertriglyceridemia (p<0.05), previous myocardial infarction (p<0.01); the asymptomatic aortic abdominal aneurysm group had a higher body mass index (p<0.05), diastolic hypertension (p<0.05), and most had left ventricular anterior hemiblocks (p<0.001). Patients with critical carotid stenosis were older (p<0.01), with greater systolic hypertension (p<0.01), and with a less compromised left ventricular systolic function. Conclusions: Patients with peripheral artery disease were mostly affected by severe metabolic diseases and by worst cardiac conditions; patients with asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms were of robust physique, and often had left ventricular anterior hemiblocks. Patients with critical carotid stenosis were older and had less cardiomyopathies.