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Background: Lack of consensus remains about factors that may be associated with high resource use (HRU) in adult cardiac surgical patients. This study aimed to identify patient-related, hospital, and perioperative characteristics associated with HRU admissions involving elective cardiac operations., Methods: Data from the National Inpatient Sample was used to identify patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft, valve replacement, and valve repair operations between 2005 and 2016. Admissions with HRU were defined as those in the highest decile for total hospital costs. Multivariable regressions were used to identify factors associated with HRU., Results: An estimated 1,750,253 hospitalizations coded for elective cardiac operations. The median hospitalization cost was $34,700 (interquartile range, $26,800- to $47,100), with the HRU (N = 175,025) cutoff at $66,029. Although HRU patients comprised 10% of admissions, they accounted for 25% of cumulative costs. On multivariable regression, patient-related characteristics predictive of HRU included female sex, older age, higher comorbidity burden, non-White race, and highest income quartile. Hospital factors associated with HRU were low-volume hospitals for both coronary artery bypass graft and valvular operations. Among postoperative outcomes, mortality, infectious complications, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use, and hospitalization for more than 8 days were associated with greater odds of HRU., Conclusions: In this nationwide study of elective cardiac surgical patients, several important patient-related and hospital factors, including patients' race, comorbidities, postoperative infectious complications, and low hospital operative volume were identified as predictors of HRU. These highly predictive factors may be used for benchmarking purposes and improvement in surgical planning., (Copyright © 2022 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In the UK National Health Service, finite resources make the adoption of minimally invasive (MI) mitral valve surgery challenging unless greater operative costs (vs sternotomy [ST]) are balanced by postoperative savings. This study examined whether the cost analysis now became unfavorable., Methods: All patients (n = 380) undergoing isolated mitral valve surgery with or without a maze procedure over a 3-year period by either MI or ST approaches were included. Propensity matching (2 cohorts, 1:1 matched;, n = 75 per group) and multivariable regression were used to assess for the effect on cost. Cost data were prospectively collected from Service Line Reporting and reported in Sterling (£) as median (interquartile range [IQR])., Results: Matched data revealed that total hospital costs were equivalent (MI vs ST, £16,672 [IQR, £15,044, £20,611] vs £15,875 [IQR, £12,281, £20,687]; P .33). Three of 15 costing pools were significantly different: operative costs were higher for the MI group (MI vs ST, £7458 [IQR, £6738, £8286] vs £5596 iIQR, £4204, £6992]; P < .001), whereas ward costs (boarding, nursing) (MI vs ST, £1464 [IQR, £1146, £1864] vs £1733 [IQR, £1403, £2445] P = .006) and pharmacy services (MI vs ST, £187 [IQR, £140, £239] vs £244 [IQR, £179, £375] P < .001) were lower for the MI group. Hospital stay was shorter in the MI group (MI vs ST, 6 days [IQR, 5, 8 days] vs 8 days [IQR, 6, 11 days]; P < .001). Multivariable regression produced similar findings., Conclusions: There was no difference in overall hospital cost between MI and ST mitral valve surgery: higher operative costs of MI surgery were offset by lower postoperative costs, with a 2-day shorter hospital stay., (Copyright © 2021 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Microplegia has been studied during isolated coronary artery bypass grafting and valve surgery but not in more complex operations. Objectives of this study were to demonstrate safety and effectiveness of microplegia relative to Buckberg cardioplegia during these operations., Methods: From January 2012 to January 2017, 242 patients underwent multicomponent operations with simplified microplegia delivered via syringe pump and 10,512 with modified Buckberg cardioplegia. Operations included aortic root, arch, or ascending aorta replacement in 424 (94%) patients, aortic valve surgery in 324 (72%) patients, and concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting in 47 (10%) patients. Outcomes were compared in 226 propensity-matched pairs., Results: There was no difference in median postoperative troponin T between groups after adjusting for aortic clamp time. Microplegia patients received significantly less crystalloid with their cardioplegia (mean 27 ± 8.0 mL/operation vs 735 ± 357 mL/operation; P < .001) and had lower peak intraoperative glucose (196 ± 40 mg/dL vs 248 ± 69 mg/dL; P < .001). Microplegia and Buckberg groups had similar in-hospital mortality (2.7% [n = 6] vs 2.2% [n = 5]; P = .8), stroke (2.2% [n = 5] vs 3.6% [n = 8]; P = .4), renal failure (8% [n = 18] vs 5.8% [n = 13]; P = .4), prolonged ventilation (23% [n = 51] vs 24% [n = 54]; P = .7), median postoperative length of stay (both 8.1 days; P > .9), and median red cell units administered to patients requiring transfusion (4 units vs 3 units; P = .14). The mean cost of cardioplegia per case with microplegia was 1/26th that of Buckberg cardioplegia., Conclusions: Our simplified microplegia technique offers several advantages over Buckberg cardioplegia without compromising myocardial protection or safety in complex, multicomponent operations with extended aortic clamp times., (Copyright © 2020 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Optimal methods to assess resource utilization in congenital heart surgery remain unclear. We compared traditional cost-to-charge ratio methods with newer standardized cost methods that aim to more directly assess resources consumed., Methods: Clinical data from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database were linked with resource use data from the Pediatric Health Information Systems Database (2010 to 2015). Standardized cost methods specific to the congenital heart surgery population were developed and compared with cost-to-charge ratio methods. Resource use in the overall population and variability across hospitals were described using hierarchical mixed effect models adjusting for case-mix., Results: Overall, 43 hospitals (65,331 patients) were included. There were minimal population-level differences in the distribution of resource use as estimated by the two methods. At the hospital level, there was less apparent variability in resource use across centers with the standardized cost vs cost-to-charge ratio method, overall (coefficient of variation 20% vs 25%) and across complexity (The Society of Thoracic Surgeons-European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery [STAT]) categories. When hospitals were categorized into tertiles by resource use, 33% changed classification depending on which resource use method was used (26% by one tertile and 7% by two tertiles)., Conclusions: In this first evaluation of standardized cost methodology in the congenital heart population, we found minimal differences vs traditional methods at the population level. At the hospital level, the magnitude of variation in resource use was less with standardized cost methods, and approximately one third of centers changed resource use categories depending on the methodology used. Because of these differences, care should be taken in future studies and in benchmarking and reporting efforts in selecting optimal methodology., (Copyright © 2020 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cardiac surgery results in complications for some patients that lead to a longer hospital stay and higher costs. This study identified the presurgery characteristics of patients that were associated with the cost of their hospital stay and estimated how much of that cost could be attributed to a bleeding event, defined as requiring 3 units or more of packed red blood cells or returning to the operating room for bleeding. We also identified the presurgery characteristics that were associated with the bleeding event., Methods: This prospective cohort of patients (n = 1459) underwent cardiac surgery at 3 tertiary referral hospitals in Australia during 2014 and 2015. Clinical data included the variables held by the Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons registry. Cost data were collected as part of a state-level hospital data collection., Results: Many of the baseline patient characteristics were associated with the total cost of cardiac surgery. After adjusting for these characteristics, the cost of cardiac surgery was 1.76 (confidence interval, 1.64-1.90) times higher for patients who had a bleeding event (P < .001), thus resulting in a median increase in costs (in Australian dollars) of $33,338 (confidence interval, $21,943-$38,415). Several baseline characteristics were strongly associated with a bleeding event., Conclusions: The impact of a bleeding event on the cost of cardiac surgery is substantial. This study identified a set of risk factors for bleeding that could be used to identify patients for discussion at the heart team level, where measures to minimize the risk of transfusion may be initiated., (Copyright © 2020 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Pediatric Heart Network Collaborative Learning Study (PHN CLS) increased early extubation rates after infant tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and coarctation of the aorta (CoA) repair across participating sites by implementing a clinical practice guideline (CPG). The impact of the CPG on hospital costs has not been studied., Methods: PHN CLS clinical data were linked to cost data from Children's Hospital Association by matching on indirect identifiers. Hospital costs were evaluated across active and control sites in the pre- and post-CPG periods using generalized linear mixed-effects models. A difference-in-difference approach was used to assess whether changes in cost observed in active sites were beyond secular trends in control sites., Results: Data were successfully linked on 410 of 428 eligible patients (96%) from four active and four control sites. Mean adjusted cost per case for TOF repair was significantly reduced in the post-CPG period at active sites ($42,833 vs $56,304, p < 0.01) and unchanged at control sites ($47,007 vs $46,476, p = 0.91), with an overall cost reduction of 27% in active versus control sites (p = 0.03). Specific categories of cost reduced in the TOF cohort included clinical (-66%, p < 0.01), pharmacy (-46%, p = 0.04), lab (-44%, p < 0.01), and imaging (-32%, p < 0.01). There was no change in costs for CoA repair at active or control sites., Conclusions: The early extubation CPG was associated with a reduction in hospital costs for infants undergoing repair of TOF but not CoA. This CPG represents an opportunity to both optimize clinical outcome and reduce costs for certain infant cardiac surgeries., (Copyright © 2019 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cardiac surgery patients colonized with Staphylococcus aureus have a greater risk of surgical site infection (SSI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of decolonization strategies to prevent SSIs., Methods: We compared three decolonization strategies: universal decolonization (UD), all subjects treated; targeted decolonization (TD), only S aureus carriers treated; and no decolonization (ND). Decolonization included mupirocin, chlorhexidine, and vancomycin. We implemented a decision tree comparing the costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of these strategies on SSI over a 1-year period for subjects undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery from a US health sector perspective. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to address the uncertainty in the variables., Results: Universal decolonization was the dominant strategy because it resulted in reduced costs at near-equal QALYs compared with TD and ND. Compared with ND, UD decreased costs by $462 and increased QALYs by 0.002 per subject, whereas TD decreased costs by $205 and increased QALYs by 0.001 per subject. For 1,000 subjects, UD prevented 19 SSI and TD prevented 10 SSI compared with ND. Sensitivity analysis showed UD to be the most cost-effective strategy in more than 91% of simulations. For the 220,000 coronary artery bypass graft procedures performed yearly in the United States, UD would save $102 million whereas TD would save $45 million compared with ND., Conclusions: Universal decolonization outperforms other strategies. However, the potential costs savings of $57 million per 220,000 coronary artery bypass graft procedures comparing UD versus TD must be weighed against the potential risk of developing resistance associated with universal decolonization., (Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: We sought to identify preoperative and intraoperative predictors of immediate extubation (IE) after open heart surgery in neonates. The effect of IE on the postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), cost of postoperative ICU care, operating room turnover, and reintubation rates was assessed., Methods: Patients younger than 31 days who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (January 2010 to December 2013) at a tertiary-care children's hospital were studied. Immediate extubation was defined as successful extubation before termination of anesthetic care. Data on preoperative and intraoperative variables were compared using descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate statistics to identify the predictors of IE. Propensity scores were used to assess effects of IE on ICU LOS, the cost of ICU care, reintubation rates, and operating room turnover time., Results: One hundred forty-eight procedures done at a median age of 7 days resulted in 45 IEs (30.4%). The IE rate was 22.2% with single-ventricle heart disease. Independent predictors of IE were the absence of the need for preoperative ventilatory assistance, higher gestational age, anesthesiologist, and shorter cardiopulmonary bypass. Immediate extubation was associated with shorter ICU LOS (8.3 versus 12.7 days; p < 0.0001) and lower cost of ICU care (mean postoperative ICU charges, $157,449 versus $198,197; p < 0.0001) with no significant difference in the probability of reintubation (p = 0.7). Immediate extubation was associated with longer operating room turnover time (38.4 versus 46.7 minutes; p = 0.009)., Conclusions: Immediate extubation was accomplished in 30.4% of neonates undergoing open heart surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass. Immediate extubation was associated with lesser ICU LOS, postoperative ICU costs, and minimal increase in operating room turnover time, but without an increase in reintubation rates. Low gestational age, preoperative ventilatory support requirement, and prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass time were inversely associated with the ability to accomplish IE., (Copyright © 2016 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Policymakers have proposed risk-adjusted bundled payment as the single most promising method of linking reimbursement to value rather than to quantity of service. Our objective was to assess the relationship between risk and cost to develop a model for forecasting the costs of cardiac operations under a bundled payment scheme., Methods: All patients undergoing adult cardiac operations for which there was a Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) risk score over a 5-year period (2008 to 2013) at a tertiary care, university hospital were reviewed. Patients were stratified into five groups based on preoperative risk as a basis for negotiating risk-adjusted bundles. A multivariable regression model was developed to analyze the relationship between risk and log-transformed costs. Monte Carlo simulation was performed to validate the model by comparing predicted with actual fiscal year 2013 costs., Results: Among the 2,514 patients analyzed, preoperative risk was strongly correlated with costs (p < 0.001) but was able to explain only 28% (R(2) = 0.28) of the variation in costs between individual patients. The use of bundling to diffuse and adjust for risk improved prediction to only 33% (R(2) = 0.33). Actual costs in 2013 were $21.6M compared with predicted costs of $19.3M (±$350K), which is well outside the forecast's 95% confidence interval., Conclusions: Even among the most routine cardiac operations and with use of the most widely validated surgical risk score available, much of the variation in costs cannot be explained by preoperative risk or surgeon. Consequently, policymakers should reexamine whether individual practices or insurers are best suited to manage the residual financial risk., (Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is growing concern over the effect of starting non-emergent cardiac surgery later in the day on clinical outcomes and resource utilization. Our objective was to determine the differences in patient outcomes for starting non-emergent cardiac surgery after 3 pm., Methods: All non-emergent cardiac operations performed at a single institution from July 2008 to 2013 were reviewed. Cases were stratified based on "early start" or "late start," defined by incision time before or after 3 pm. Rates of observed and risk-adjusted mortality, major complications, and costs were compared on a univariate basis for all patients and by multivariable linear and logistic regression for patients with a valid The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Predicted Risk of Mortality (PROM)., Results: A total of 3,395 non-emergent cardiac operations were reviewed, including 368 late start cases. Compared with cases starting earlier, mortality was significantly higher for patients undergoing late operations (5.2% vs 3.5%, p = 0.046) despite similar preoperative risk (STS PROM 3.8% vs 3.3%) and major complication rates (18.2% vs 18.3%). Costs were 8% higher with late start cases ($51,576 vs $47,641, p < 0.001). After controlling for case type, surgeon, year, and risk, late cases resulted in higher mortality (odds ratio 2.04, p = 0.041) despite shorter operative duration (16 minutes, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Starting non-emergent cardiac cases later in the day is associated with 2 times higher absolute and risk-adjusted mortality. These data should be carefully considered, not only by surgeons and patients but also in the context of the operating room system when scheduling non-emergent cardiac cases., (Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is an increasing focus on optimizing health care quality and reducing costs. The care of children undergoing heart surgery requires significant investment of resources, and it remains unclear how costs of care relate to quality. We evaluated this relationship across a multicenter cohort., Methods: Clinical data from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database were merged with cost data from the Pediatric Health Information Systems Database for children undergoing heart surgery (2006 to 2010). Hospital-level costs were modeled using Bayesian hierarchical methods adjusting for case-mix, and hospitals were categorized into cost tertiles. The primary quality metric evaluated was in-hospital mortality., Results: Overall, 27 hospitals (30,670 patients) were included. Median adjusted cost per case was $82,360 and varied fivefold across hospitals, while median adjusted mortality was 3.4% and ranged from 2.4% to 5.0% across hospitals. Overall, hospitals in the lowest cost tertile had significantly lower adjusted mortality rates compared with the middle and high cost tertiles (2.5% vs 3.8% and 3.5%, respectively, both p < 0.001). When assessed at the individual hospital level, most (75%) but not all hospitals in the lowest cost tertile were also in the lowest mortality tertile. Similar relationships were seen across the spectrum of surgical complexity. Lower cost hospitals also had shorter length of stay and trends toward fewer major complications., Conclusions: Lowest cost hospitals generally deliver the highest quality care for children undergoing heart surgery, although there is some variation in this relationship. This information is important in the design of initiatives aiming to optimize health care value in this population., (Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Obtaining excellent exposure of the papillary muscles is challenging in minimally invasive mitral valve repair. We have developed a simple and effective technique using a sterile paper ruler. The ruler is cut to the proper length (8 to 12 cm) depending on the valve size, then rolled and sutured. The rolled ruler, 7 to 11 cm in circumference, is placed inside the mitral leaflets. This technique provides excellent exposure of the papillary muscles without damaging the leaflets and prevents chordal injury during artificial chordal implantation., (Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In response to societal pressure to reduce expenditures and increase quality, we sought to develop a methodology to predict hospital charges related to congenital heart surgery., Methods: Patients undergoing congenital heart surgery at Boston Children's Hospital in fiscal years 2007 to 2009 comprised the derivation cohort. Clinical data, including Current Procedural Terminology coding of the primary surgical intervention, were collected prospectively and linked to total hospital charges for an episode of care. Surgical charge categories were developed to group surgical procedure types using empiric data and expert consensus. A multivariable model was built using surgical charge categories and additional patient and procedural characteristics to predict the outcome, total hospital charges. A contemporary cohort for fiscal years 2010 to 2012 was used to validate surgical charge categories and the multivariable model., Results: In the derivation cohort, 2,105 cases met inclusion criteria. One hundred three surgical procedure types were categorized into seven surgical charge categories, yielding a grouper variable with an R(2) explanatory value of 47.3%. Explanatory value increased with consideration of patient age, admission status, and preoperative ventilator dependence (R(2) = 59.4%), as well as weight category, noncardiac abnormality, and genetic syndrome other than trisomy 21 (R(2) = 61.5%). Additional variability in charge was explained when extracorporeal membrane oxygenation utilization and greater than one operating room visit during the episode of care were added (R(2) = 74.3%). The contemporary cohort yielded an R(2) explanatory value of 67.7%., Conclusions: The combination of clinical data with resource utilization information resulted in a statistically valid predictive model for total hospital charges in congenital heart surgery., (Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: While there is an increasing emphasis on both optimizing quality of care and reducing health care costs, there are limited data regarding how to best achieve these goals for common and resource-intense conditions such as congenital heart disease. We evaluated excess costs associated with complications and prolonged length of stay (LOS) after congenital heart surgery in a large multicenter cohort., Methods: Clinical data from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database were linked to estimated costs from the Pediatric Health Information Systems Database (2006 to 2010). Excess cost per case associated with complications and prolonged LOS was modeled for 9 operations of varying complexity adjusting for patient baseline characteristics., Results: Of 12,718 included operations (27 centers), average excess cost per case in those with any complication (versus none) was $56,584 (+$132,483 for major complications). The 5 highest cost complications were tracheostomy, mechanical circulatory support, respiratory complications, renal failure, and unplanned reoperation or reintervention (ranging from $57,137 to $179,350). Patients with an additional day of LOS above the median had an average excess cost per case of $19,273 (+$40,688 for LOS 4 to 7 days above median). Potential cost savings in the study cohort achievable through reducing major complications (by 10%) and LOS (by 1 to 3 days) were greatest for the Norwood operation ($7,944,128 and $3,929,351, respectively) and several other commonly performed operations of more moderate complexity., Conclusions: Complications and prolonged LOS after congenital heart surgery are associated with significant costs. Initiatives able to achieve even modest reductions in these morbidities may lead to both improved outcomes and cost savings across both moderate and high complexity operations., (Copyright © 2014 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Percutaneous device occlusion and minimally invasive surgical repair for perimembranous ventricular septal defect (pmVSD) are two typical methods to reduce the invasiveness of the conventional operation through a median sternotomy. However, few studies have compared them in terms of effectiveness and cost., Methods: Inpatients with isolated pmVSD who had undergone percutaneous device occlusion or minimally invasive surgical repair from June 2009 to June 2012 were reviewed for a comparative investigation between the two procedures., Results: Procedure success was achieved in 80 percutaneous (93.0%) and in 113 surgical (98.3%) procedures (p=0.076). Percutaneous patients were older, with a smaller VSD size than surgical patients (16±11.7 vs 3.8±2.4 mm, p<0.001; 4.0±1.2 vs 4.3±1.3 mm, p=0.034, respectively). Major complications occurred in 1 percutaneous (1.2%) and in 4 surgical (3.5%) procedures (p=0.602), and minor complications occurred in 27 percutaneous (33.3%) and in 37 surgical (32.2%) procedures (p=0.991). The surgical repair cost 31% less than the device occlusion (¥20,565±¥3,497 vs ¥29,795±¥2,643, p<0.001), where most of the cost was attributed to the occluder in the amount of ¥19,500., Conclusions: Compared with device occlusion, minimally invasive surgical repair can provide comparable efficacy and complication rates. In addition, it is 31% cheaper than device occlusion. In low-income countries where health care resources are limited, medical resources must be judiciously allocated to the treatment that allows for effective treatment of the largest number of patients., (Copyright © 2014 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Within the field of cardiac surgery, several strategies have been adopted in an effort to address contributors to increasing health care costs. Limited data are available on cost analysis within the field of mitral valve surgery. The purpose of our investigation was to analyze cost differences between mitral valve repair and replacement., Methods: The analysis was based on the subset of patients with isolated mitral valve repair or replacement (International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, clinical codes 35.12, 35.23, and 35.24) using data from the 2005 to 2008 Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, which is the largest all-payer database in the United States. We examined the selective contribution of patient demographics, hospital characteristics, and postoperative complications to cost by using hierarchical linear mixed models. We used mixed effects logistic regression models to identify factors that influence extreme cost expenditures in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery., Results: Independent predictors of increased cost for both repair and replacement on multivariable analysis included increased age, prior myocardial infarction, heart failure, neurologic deficit, renal disease, emergent status, and Medicare or Medicaid insurance type. The presence of postoperative complications also predicted increased costs. However, the model for repair only yielded a reduction in variability of 13%, while the model for replacement produced a reduction of 22%., Conclusions: In this analysis, the most important contributors to cost for mitral valve repair and replacement are preoperative patient comorbidities, most notably history of myocardial infarction and heart failure, emergent admission status, and postoperative complications. The variables in our model failed to account for a large proportion of the variability in cost. This would suggest that future analyses exploring differential procedure costs between hospitals must look for factors beyond patient baseline characteristics and postoperative outcomes., (Copyright © 2012 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A new cardiac surgery program was developed in a community hospital setting using the operational excellence (OE) method, which is based on the principles of the Toyota production system. The initial results of the first 409 heart operations, performed over the 28 months between March 1, 2008, and June 30, 2010, are presented., Methods: Operational excellence methodology was taught to the cardiac surgery team. Coaching started 2 months before the opening of the program and continued for 24 months., Results: Of the 409 cases presented, 253 were isolated coronary artery bypass graft operations. One operative death occurred. According to the database maintained by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the risk-adjusted operative mortality rate was 61% lower than the regional rate. Likewise, the risk-adjusted rate of major complications was 57% lower than The Society of Thoracic Surgeons regional rate. Daily solution to determine cause was attempted on 923 distinct perioperative problems by all team members. Using the cost of complications as described by Speir and coworkers, avoiding predicted complications resulted in a savings of at least $884,900 as compared with the regional average., Conclusions: By the systematic use of a real time, highly formatted problem-solving methodology, processes of care improved daily. Using carefully disciplined teamwork, reliable implementation of evidence-based protocols was realized by empowering the front line to make improvements. Low rates of complications were observed, and a cost savings of $3,497 per each case of isolated coronary artery bypass graft was realized., (Copyright © 2011 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Given recent economic implications in caring for an aging population, we sought to determine if postoperative complications and costs for octogenarians differed based on the type of cardiac operation., Methods: From 2003 to 2008, patients who underwent cardiac operations at 16 different centers were identified from the Virginia Cardiac Surgery Quality Initiative and selected into two cohorts (<80 years and ≥80 years). Octogenarians (≥80 years) were stratified into isolated primary coronary bypass graft, aortic valve, mitral valve, or combined operation. Preoperative risks, outcomes, and costs were analyzed. Case-mix adjusted models for mortality and major complication rate were developed., Results: We examined 45,731 patients, of which 3,079 were octogenarians (82.7 ± 2.5 years). Compared with younger patients, octogenarians incurred higher mortality (6.5% vs 3.1%, p < 0.001) and major complication rates (13.2% vs 8.4%, p < 0.001) with only incrementally higher total costs (p < 0.001). Among octogenarians mortality was similar despite the operation. Cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass time (p < 0.001), hospital length of stay (p = 0.001), and major complication rate (p = 0.002) were highest for combined operation. Despite the fewest complications, mitral valve operation had the highest total costs (p < 0.001). Type of operation was not predictive of mortality or major complication rate. However, age, female gender, emergent status, and prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass time were independently associated with death despite risk-adjustment., Conclusions: Advanced age confers increased risks and incrementally higher costs in patients undergoing cardiac operations. Isolated mitral and combined procedures have the highest complications and costs. Any proposed cardiac operation in octogenarians mandates careful consideration of resource utilization., (Copyright © 2011 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In 2003, a satellite cardiac surgery program (SAT) was implemented at an affiliated community hospital located in an area historically served by an academic medical center (AMC). This study assessed the financial consequences and the changes in case-mix that occurred at the AMC after SAT implementation., Methods: From June 2002 through December 2005, 4593 adult patients underwent cardiac operations at the AMC. Excluded were 400 patients operated on during the 4-month transition period after SAT implementation and 1210 patients living more than 35 miles from the AMC. Multivariable regression was used to compare changes in case-mix and propensity-score adjusted costs for AMC patients referred from SAT area (N(before/after =) 328/291) vs other patients (N(before/after =) 897/1467)., Results: The SAT area referral rate decreased by 55%. Compared with other patients, AMC patients referred from the SAT area showed a greater increase in age in the second period (p = 0.013). The nursing workload and adjusted mean costs increased more for patients from the SAT area (p = 0.015 and 0.014, respectively). The hospital margin decreased in the second period for both referral areas (p < 0.001). For the patient subgroup undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, this hospital margin decrease was greater for SAT area patients (p = 0.017)., Conclusions: After implementation of SAT program, fewer patients of lower complexity came to the AMC from the SAT area, and there was a significant increase in nursing workload and costs. During this interval, hospital margin for cardiac operations decreased from both referral areas but decreased significantly more for coronary artery bypass graft patients from the SAT area., (2010 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Health care consumption and costs for the treatment of atrial fibrillation are high. Atrial fibrillation is effectively treated by the surgical Maze III procedure according to the Cox method. We describe the effects of this procedure on health care consumption and economy., Methods: From October 1997 through March 2002, 72 patients underwent the Maze III procedure. Medical records of these patients were reviewed, and all data regarding hospitalization and outpatient clinic visits for atrial fibrillation and its related diseases were recorded. Accounting divisions from the contributing hospitals were consulted for the exact cost of each of these services, which were allocated into preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative periods., Results: The perioperative mortality was zero. Long-term freedom from symptomatic atrial fibrillation was verified in 96% of the patients. The number of hospitalization days decreased by 84%, from 471 during the preoperative period to 79 in the postoperative (p < 0.001), and costs during the same periods decreased by 75%, from 7,075,000 Swedish Kronor to 1,757,000 Swedish Kronor (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: The Maze III procedure significantly decreased the postoperative hospitalization costs in patients undergoing surgery primarily for atrial fibrillation. As well as providing an effective treatment for symptomatic arrhythmia, this procedure breaks the undesirable trend of increasing health care consumption resulting from treatment of atrial fibrillation.

Throughout the last 3 years, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has put forth a major effort towards more accurate valuation of the work performed by cardiothoracic surgeons. The culmination of these efforts was realized on November 1, 2006, when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published the Final Rule which markedly increased the physician work values for the most frequently performed cardiothoracic surgery procedures. This article recounts the innovative approach taken by the STS during these extended efforts.

Background: This study aimed to determine whether the preoperative risk stratification model EuroSCORE predicts the different components of resource utilization in open heart surgery., Methods: Data for all adult patients undergoing heart surgery at the University Hospital of Lund, Sweden, between 1999 and 2002 were prospectively collected. Costs were calculated for the surgery and intensive care and ward stay for each patient (excluding transplant cases and patients who died intraoperatively). Regression analysis was applied to evaluate the correlation between EuroSCORE and costs. The predictive accuracy for prolonged postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) stay was assessed by the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. The discriminatory power was evaluated by calculating the areas under receiver operating characteristics curves., Results: The study included 3,404 patients. The mean cost for the surgery was 7,300 dollars, in the ICU 3,746 dollars, and in the ward 3,500 dollars. Total cost was significantly correlated with EuroSCORE, with a correlation coefficient of 0.47 (p < 0.0001); the correlation coefficient was 0.31 for the surgery cost, 0.46 for the ICU cost, and 0.11 for the ward cost. The Hosmer-Lemeshow p value for EuroSCORE prediction of more than 2 days' stay in the ICU was 0.40, indicating good accuracy. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.78. The probability of an ICU stay exceeding 2 days was more than 50% at a EuroSCORE of 14 or more., Conclusions: In this single-institution study, the additive EuroSCORE algorithm could be used to predict ICU cost and also an ICU stay of more than 2 days after open heart surgery.

Cardiovascular disease remains a significant source of morbidity and mortality for patients with kidney disease. Coincident with the development of chronic renal failure, patients typically manifest a systemic vasculopathy often involving the cardiovascular system. The renal failure patient is also plagued by multiple comorbid conditions that may adversely affect cardiovascular outcomes. Consistent with the national trend of increasing numbers of patients requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT), patients requiring invasive cardiovascular procedures are also on the incline. The morbidity and mortality related to these procedures has remained high despite significant advances in delivery and maintenance of care. Is the African-American patient with renal failure unique in terms of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality? Numerous studies have documented racial differences in access to invasive cardiovascular procedures, even after controlling for multiple physiologic risk factors and socioeconomic and sociocultural factors. Studies have also shown higher morbidity and lower survival for African-American patients after cardiac procedures. In this high-risk population these same issues perhaps would persist. The following paper will examine the current status of cardiovascular disease in the renal failure patient with emphasis on the African-American patient population.

Background: The recommended dose of aprotinin has been shown to reduce blood loss and need for blood transfusions, but the cost precludes its routine use. This study was designed to determine whether a less expensive, ultra-low dose of aprotinin is effective when used in coronary artery bypass grafting with left internal mammary artery., Methods: Patients (n = 202) were randomized to receive either placebo or aprotinin, 0.5 million KIU before incision and 0.5 million KIU during initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass. Differences in quantity of blood transfused were analyzed. Further groups were analyzed to account for the effect of aspirin. Multivariable analysis was performed to determine risk factors for transfusion. Direct costs of blood products and aprotinin were tabulated for each group., Results: There was an important reduction in the proportion of patients transfused, and number of blood units transfused when aprotinin was given before coronary artery bypass grafting. These differences were even more important in patients on aspirin preoperatively. Independent predictors for increased number of transfusions were aspirin continued before operation, smaller body surface area, and the use of placebo instead of ultra-low dose aprotinin. There was no difference in morbidity between treatment groups. There was a reduction in direct costs associated with the use of aprotinin., Conclusions: These data support the routine use of aprotinin 1 million KIU in coronary artery bypass grafting with left internal mammary artery to reduce cost and transfusion requirements.

Background: It has been shown that postoperative length of stay (LOS) correlates highly with mortality risk for cardiac surgical procedures. Similar correlations have been found for charges with LOS and costs with risk., Methods: Postoperative LOS and risk scores were obtained, tabulated, and compiled into the five original Parsonnet risk groups for 2,589 patients who underwent cardiac operations from 1992 through 1996 at one hospital. The correlation of the group mean LOS with the group mean risk was tested., Results: The correlation coefficient was 0.9827; 96.58% of the variance was removed using risk to predict LOS. A calculation of the difference in cost for difference in risk for cohorts of patients is developed., Conclusions: The high correlation of mean LOS with mean risk permits calculation of marginal cost for marginal risk based on clinical data. The marginal cost is equal to the difference in variable costs for cohorts.

Background: To determine the validity of the newly assigned work relative value unit (RVU) scale for surgical procedures for congenital heart disease, we measured its relationship to length of hospital stay, total hospital charges, and mortality., Methods: We identified cases by the presence of ICD-9-CM codes in nine statewide, administrative hospital discharge abstract databases for 1992. Computer algorithms were generated to assign RVUs to individual cases. Spearman correlation coefficients between work and practice expense RVUs and median length of hospital stay, total hospital charges, and in-hospital mortality were determined, as well as parameter estimates from linear and logistic regression., Results: Using data from 5,192 cases involving 34 surgical procedures for congenital heart disease, higher work RVUs were associated with longer lengths of hospital stay (rs = 0.72, p < 0.0001), higher total hospital charges (rs = 0.81, p < 0.0001), and higher in-hospital mortality (rs = 0.45, p = 0.01). A 5-point increase in the relative value scale was associated with an increase in the length of stay by a multiplicative factor of 1.3 (p < 0.0001); total hospital charges by 1.5 (p < 0.0001); and the odds of in-hospital death by 1.9 (p < 0.0001). Findings were similar for practice expense RVUs, as work and practice expense RVUs were highly correlated (rs = 0.93, p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: The group of work RVUs for surgical procedures for congenital heart defects are reasonable relative measures, on average, of physician work for these procedures, thus supporting the use of this scale to determine physician reimbursement. Practice expense RVUs may not be an independent measure for these procedures.

Background: Aprotinin consistently reduces blood loss and transfusion requirements in adults during and after cardiac surgical procedures, but its effectiveness in children is debated. We evaluated the hemostatic and economic effects of aprotinin in children undergoing reoperative cardiac procedures with cardiopulmonary bypass., Methods: Control, low-dose aprotinin, and high-dose aprotinin groups were established with 15 children per group. Platelet counts, fibrinogen levels, and thromboelastographic values at baseline and after protamine sulfate administration, number of blood product transfusions, and 6-hour and 24-hour chest tube drainage were used to evaluate the effects of aprotinin on postbypass coagulopathies. Time needed for skin closure after protamine administration and lengths of stay in the intensive care unit and the hospital were recorded prospectively to determine the economic impact of aprotinin., Results: Coagulation tests performed after protamine administration rarely demonstrated fibrinolysis but did show significant decreases in platelet and fibrinogen levels and function. The thromboelastographic variables indicated a preservation of platelet function by aprotinin. Decreased blood product transfusions, shortened skin closure times, and shortened durations of intensive care unit and hospital stays were found in the aprotinin groups, most significantly in the high-dose group with a subsequent average reduction of nearly $3,000 in patient charges., Conclusions: In children undergoing reoperative cardiac surgical procedures, aprotinin is effective in attenuating postbypass coagulopathies, decreasing blood product exposure, improving clinical outcome, and reducing patient charges.

Background: Cardiac surgical patients consume a significant fraction of the annual volume of allogeneic blood transfused. Scavenged autologous blood may serve as a cost-effective means of conserving donated blood and avoiding transfusion-related complications., Methods: This study examines 834 patients after cardiac operations at the University of Alabama Hospital. Data were collected on patients receiving unwashed, filtered, autologous transfusions from shed mediastinal drainage and those receiving allogeneic transfusions. The data were incorporated into clinical decision models; confidence intervals for parameters were estimated by bootstrapping sample statistics. Costs were estimated for transfusing both allogeneic and autologous blood., Results: The study found a 54% reduction in transfusion risk or a mean reduction of 1.41 allogeneic units per case (95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 1.79 units). The process saved between $49 and $62 per case., Conclusions: The use of autologous blood has the potential to significantly reduce the costs and risks associated with transfusing allogeneic blood after cardiac operations.

Background: For many congenital heart defects, hospital mortality is no longer a sensitive parameter by which to measure outcome. Although hospital survival rates are now excellent for a wide variety of lesions, many patients require expensive and extensive hospital-based services during the perioperative period to enable their convalescence. These services can substantially increase the cost of care delivery. In today's managed care environment, it would be useful if risk factors for higher cost could be identified preoperatively so that appropriate resources could be made available for the care of these patients. The focus of this retrospective investigation is to determine if risk factors for high cost for repair of congenital heart defects can be identified., Methods: We assessed financial risk by tracking actual hospital costs (not charges) for 144 patients undergoing repair of atrial septal defect (58 patients), ventricular septal defect (48 patients), atrioventricular canals (14 patients), or tetralogy of Fallot (24 patients) at Duke University Medical Center between July 1, 1992, and September 15, 1995. Furthermore, we were able to identify where the costs occurred within the hospital. Financial risk was defined as a large (> 60% of mean costs) standard deviation, which indicated unpredictability and variability in the treatment for a group of patients., Results: Cost for atrial septal defect repair was predictably consistent (low standard deviation) and was related to hospital length of stay. There were factors, however, for ventricular septal defect, atrioventricular canal, and tetralogy of Fallot repair that are identifiable preoperatively that predict low- and high-risk groups using cost as an outcome parameter. Patients undergoing ventricular septal defect repair who were younger than 6 months of age at the time of repair, who required preoperative hospital stays of longer than 7 days before surgical repair, or who had Down's syndrome had a less predictable cost picture than patients undergoing ventricular septal defect repair who were older than 2 years, who had short (< 4 days) preoperative hospitalization, or who did not have Down's syndrome ($48,252 +/- $42,539 versus $15,819 +/- $7,219; p = 0.008). Patients with atrioventricular canals who had long preoperative hospitalization (> 7 days), usually due to pneumonia (respiratory syncytial virus) with preoperative mechanical ventilation had significantly higher cost than patients with atrioventricular canals who underwent elective repair with short preoperative hospitalization ($83,324 +/- $60,138 versus $26,904 +/- $5,384; p = 0.05). Patients with tetralogy of Fallot had higher costs if they had multiple congenital anomalies, previous palliation (combining costs of both surgical procedures and hospital stays), or severe "tet" spells at the time of presentation for operation compared with patients without these risk factors ($114,202 +/- $88,524 versus $22,241 +/- $7,071; p = 0.0005). One patient (with tetralogy of Fallot) with multiple congenital anomalies died 42 days after tetralogy of Fallot repair of sepsis after a gastrointestinal operation. Otherwise, hospital mortality was 0% for all groups., Conclusions: Low mortality and good long-term outcome for surgical correction of congenital heart defects is now commonplace, but can be expensive as some patients with complex problems receive the care necessary to survive. This study demonstrates that it is possible to identify factors preoperatively that predict financial risk. This knowledge may facilitate implementation of risk adjustments for managed care contracting and for strategic resource allocation.

Background: Age has been considered an important risk factor for cardiac operations. Recent refinements have been designed to reduce cardiac, neurologic, and renal complications., Methods: Analysis of cardiac surgical outcomes including mortality, length of stay, complications, and costs were undertaken for a consecutive series of 285 patients 70 years old and older and 568 patients younger than 70 years who underwent operation during 1991 through 1995. Management included antegrade and retrograde cold and warm blood cardioplegia, epicardial echocardiography, retrosternal dissection for reoperations, maintenance of "normal" arterial pressure, and measures to avoid renal dysfunction. Parsonnet risk stratification and multiple regression were used to account for risk factors., Results: The 30-day mortality rate for elderly patients was 1.8% (5/285) and 1.8% (10/568) for patients less than 70 years old (p = not significant). The hospital mortality rate for the elderly patients was 3.2% (9/285) versus 2.5% (14/568) for the younger group (p = not significant). The frequencies of complications were not different. Over the 5-year period, length of stay decreased from 12.5 +/- 1.5 days to 8.9 +/- 0.9 days for patients 70 years old and older and from 11.5 +/- 0.1 to 6.4 +/- 0.3 days for patients less than 70 years old. Hospital charges for the elderly group were 13% higher., Conclusions: Modern cardiac surgical techniques and clinical practices have reduced the importance of the age factor.

In the Canadian single-payer system, all hospital payments, including payments for cardiac operations, are negotiated with the government annually. Each hospital is required to remain within 50 cases of its negotiated surgical target. Physicians are paid on a capitated basis and are subject to penalties if negotiated targets are exceeded. There is a computerized waiting list for cardiac operation, with patients classified by an urgency rating scale and objectives set for the maximum period for any given urgency category. Experience has shown that many patients are delayed in the queue, waiting longer than expected for surgical procedures. Waiting times are not influenced by age, sex, or reoperative status, but are influenced by factors such as the presence of multiple risk factors, the number of diseased vessels, stability or unstability of angina, left main coronary artery disease, and recent angioplasty. Waiting time has not been shown to affect operative mortality, the incidence of postoperative low-output syndrome, or length of hospital stay. Canada's 30-year experience with the provision of cardiac services under managed care may provide useful information to hospitals and physicians in the United States currently confronting capitation. The following overview focuses on two critical issues: negotiation of costs and management of patient waiting lists.

Changes that are the consequences of the transformation of health care into an industry are reviewed. The primary focus is on the effects of this transformation and government finding policies on physician reimbursement for cardiac surgery. Also addressed are Relative Values Scales as the basis for physician reimbursement, physician payment reform under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989, impact of Medicare policy on surgical volume and surgeon income over recent years, provisions of the Medicare plan under current consideration, and impact of the Congressional-mandated resource-based practice expense relative value scale study currently under way.

Hospital and physician services in Canada are funded by public (government) sources. This article will describe the practice of cardiac surgery in this setting. Federal legislation has prescribed the principles of accessibility, universality, comprehensiveness, portability, and public administration for essential healthcare services in Canada. Provincial and territorial governments are responsible for the provision of services, receiving federal tax and cash transfers that supplement provincial/territorial funds for hospital, physician, and community health services. Hospitals negotiate annually for global budgets. Physicians work as independent contractors in hospitals (and communities) and are usually paid as specified by fee-for-service contracts negotiated at intervals with governments. Cardiac surgical services have been planned conjointly with government. Forty-two centers in Canada serve a population of 28 million. All but three of these centers are located in tertiary teaching hospitals; all but one do more than 200 pumps annually. The rate of cardiac operations is 80 per 100,000 population. In Ontario, the Provincial Adult Cardiac Care Network makes recommendations to governments about the distribution of the 7,600 pumps annually (population, 11 million), rationalizing waiting lists based on an urgency rating scale. Patients requiring emergent/urgent operations are well served. The average waiting time for an elective cardiac operation is 10.5 weeks. The waiting list mortality is less than 0.5%. The Provincial Adult Cardiac Care Network also determines the placement of new programs and participates in creating hospital funding formulas developed from a combination of resource and acuity intensity weighting. Most surgeons hold full-time academic appointments but are funded largely by practice income. Surgical fees average $2,000 (Canada) per case. Overhead, including malpractice insurance, is approximately 45%. All Canadian patients enjoy reasonably timely access to good cardiac surgical care. Further constraints on physician compensation and (academic) hospital funding will compromise this balance.

Background: With emphasis today on cost containment in health care, the results and costs of cardiac operations in elderly patients are being scrutinized., Methods: Our computerized database was used to obtain the characteristics of patients undergoing cardiac operations from January 1990 to July 1994. A study group of 628 patients aged 70 years and over was identified, and comparisons were made between them and adult patients less than 70 years of age., Results: In the elderly group the 30-day mortality was 33 of 628 (5.3%), and the overall hospital mortality was 40 (6.4%). During this time the 30-day mortality for all adult patients less than 70 years old was 49 of 1787 (2.7%; p < 0.003) and the hospital mortality was 59 (3.3%; p < 0.001). The mean length of postoperative hospital stay (days +/- standard error) in all surviving patients aged 70 years and over was 11.6 +/- 0.4 days, compared with 8.5 +/- 0.2 days in patients less than 70 years old (p < 0.001). Over the time of the study the length of stay in patients less than 70 years old declined from 9.6 +/- 0.4 to 7.2 +/- 0.6 days, whereas it stayed the same for elderly patients. The 30-day mortality and length of stay increased with the risk category of the Parsonnet model. The mean hospital charge for patients aged 70 and over was 114% of that for younger patients., Conclusions: Although mortality, length of stay, and hospital charge are increased in patients 70 years of age and over, they are not excessively so. The results support the continued performance of cardiac surgical procedures in select elderly patients.

Parsonnet risk estimates and postoperative lengths of stay were studied for two cohorts of cardiac surgical patients. The first cohort consisted of 287 patients and was taken from 1984, the first full year of this cardiac surgical program. The second cohort consisted of all 1,167 patients operated on in the calendar years 1989 to 1991. We found that the mean risk for the patients had nearly doubled in this interval and that the risk distribution changed significantly from one skewed toward good-risk patients to a nearly uniform distribution through all risk categories. A high correlation was identified (0.9761) between the postoperative length of stay and the mean risk estimates for the 1989 to 1991 cohort of patients. This permits a regression equation to be calculated showing that the length of stay could be estimated at 7.06 days + 0.21 times the mean risk for a patient or cohort of patients. This relationship is then used to develop a relationship between the net income for a given case or cohort of patients and the length of stay or risk. These data suggest that, in most hospitals, hospital fixed costs are a major determinant, even more so than daily charges, of the relationship between the hospital's finances and the mean risks of patients undertaken in the cardiac surgical program. The consequences of this are discussed.

This clinical trial, which was composed of 1,031 adults undergoing cardiac operations, compared the efficacy of a single dose of 1 g of ceftriaxone with a 48-our regimen consisting of flucloxacillin and gentamicin. There was no significant difference (p = 0.89) in the overall incidence of major infections: 30 of 515 patients (5.8%; 95% confidence interval, 5.4% to 6.2%) taking ceftriaxone and 29 of 516 patients (5.6%; 95% confidence interval, 5.2% to 6.0%) taking flucloxacillin and gentamicin. Subgroup analyses, with a lower statistical power, failed to show a significant difference between patients who received ceftriaxone and those who received flucloxacillin/gentamicin: major sternal wound infections arose in 2.7% of the patients taking ceftriaxone versus 1.6% in those on the 48-hour regimen (p = 0.20) and major limb wound infections arose in 4.2% and 5.4%, respectively (p = 0.44). Single-dose prophylaxis was associated with fewer intravenous administrations (864 doses versus 9,570 doses) and cost less (A$17,248 versus A$78,510). Although the regimen that included gentamicin was associated with the greatest biochemical impairment of renal function, the overall toxicity for both groups was low. We conclude that a single dose of ceftriaxone provided cost-efficient prophylaxis for adults undergoing cardiac operations when compared with a 48-hour regimen of gentamicin and flucloxacillin. The general principle revealed by our data is that the short-term administration of an appropriate antibiotic regimen represents optimal prophylaxis for patients undergoing cardiac procedures.