Skip to main content

Delaying Noncardiac Surgery for Several Months After Heart Attack Found to Be Safer

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Nov 14, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Nov. 14, 2024 -- Delaying noncardiac surgeries for three to six months following a heart attack appears safer for those who undergo revascularization, according to a study published online Oct. 30 in JAMA Surgery.

Laurent G. Glance, M.D., from the University of Rochester in New York, and colleagues examined the association between the time since a non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and the risk for postoperative major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). The analysis included Medicare claims data (2015 to 2020) for patients 67 years or older who had major noncardiac surgery (roughly 5.2 million surgeries).

The researchers found that compared with patients without a prior NSTEMI, patients with an NSTEMI within 30 days of elective surgery had higher odds of MACCE, regardless of whether they had undergone coronary revascularization (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.15) or not (aOR, 2.04). After 30 days, the odds of postoperative MACCE leveled off in patients who had undergone any coronary revascularization procedure (and after 90 days in patients with drug-eluting stents). However, there was an increase after 180 days (any revascularization at 181 to 365 days: aOR, 1.46; patients with drug-eluting stents at 181 to 365 days: aOR, 1.73). For those not undergoing revascularization, the odds of MACCE did not level off. Findings were similar for all-cause 30-day mortality, except that the odds of mortality in patients with previous NSTEMI who had revascularization leveled off after 60 days in elective surgeries and 90 days for nonelective surgeries.

"Delaying elective noncardiac surgery to occur between 90 and 180 days after an NSTEMI may be reasonable for patients who have had revascularization," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Early Combination of Lipid-Lowering Therapy Beneficial After Myocardial Infarction

MONDAY, April 28, 2025 -- For patients with myocardial infarction (MI), early oral combination lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) is beneficial, according to a study published online in...

Study IDs Predictors of Biomechanical Function in Patients With OA Undergoing Hip Replacement

WEDNESDAY, April 23, 2025 -- For patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA), osteoarthritis (OA) severity is the best predictor of preoperative biomechanical function, and...

Preop Macular Thickness May Be Marker of Postop Delirium in Seniors

FRIDAY, April 4, 2025 -- In older patients undergoing surgery, preoperative macular thickness may be a marker for vulnerability to developing postoperative delirium, according to...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.