This review highlights that sex influences pathogenesis, presentation, and surgical outcomes in women undergoing cardiac surgery, and addresses disparities in research, referral, and care.
What are the current outcomes, sex disparities, and gaps in care for women undergoing cardiac surgery?
This review highlights persistent sex disparities in cardiac surgery outcomes and referral for women, emphasizing the need for strategies to close these gaps in care.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality for women in United States and worldwide. One in 3 women dies from cardiovascular disease, and 45% of women >20 years old have some form of CVD. Historically, women have had higher morbidity and mortality after cardiac surgery. Sex influences pathogenesis, pathophysiology, presentation, postoperative complications, surgical outcomes, and survival. This review summarizes current cardiovascular surgery outcomes as they pertain to women. Specifically, this article seeks to address whether sex disparities in research, surgical referral, and outcomes still exist and to provide strategies to close these gaps. In addition, with the growing population of women of reproductive age with cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk factors, indications for cardiac surgery arise in pregnant women. The current review will also address the unique issues associated with this special population.
Cho et al. (Mon,) conducted a review in Cardiovascular disease requiring cardiac surgery in women. Cardiac surgery was evaluated. This review highlights that sex influences pathogenesis, presentation, and surgical outcomes in women undergoing cardiac surgery, and addresses disparities in research, referral, and care.