Cardiothoracic & vascular anesthesia
Time of day of cardiac surgery and postoperative outcomes in the UK : a secondary analysis of linked national datasets
Authors' conclusion
Time-of-day variation in postoperative death due to cardiovascular disease following cardiac surgery was observed, with the highest risk seen in late morning procedures.
Study context
- Population
- Adults undergoing cardiac surgery in the UK (National Adult Cardiac Surgery Audit linked to Case Mix Programme, Hospital Episode Statistics and Office for National Statistics mortality records)
- Participants
- 24,068 adults
- Comparison
- Time of day of cardiac surgery: late morning, early afternoon, late afternoon vs early morning
- Primary endpoint
- Hazard of death due to CVD and time to hospital readmission for MI or acute HF
Methodological detailsprospectively collected data
- Prospectively collected data
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Late morningAdjusted hazard ratio (95% CI)
Death from CVD
1.18(1.00–1.39)
Readmission for MI or acute HF; no difference
0.97(0.85–1.11)
Secondary outcomes
Mean
| Outcome | Early morning | Late morning | Early afternoon | Late afternoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Predicted risk of death | 3.2% (SD 3.7) | 3.7% (SD 4.6) | 2.8% (SD 3.4) | 3.1% (SD 3.6) |
Postoperative hospital LOS, major cardiovascular events, all-cause mortality
- No differences in the secondary outcome measures
Original publication
Time of day of cardiac surgery and postoperative outcomes in the UK : a secondary analysis of linked national datasets. Anaesthesia. Published 9 January 2026. doi:10.
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