Less risks Heart operations in the afternoon are much better

Heart surgeries should be performed best in the afternoon

According to a recent study from France, cardiac surgery works best in the afternoons. As the doctors at the University of Lille report, the risk of serious complications at this time of day is much lower. The reduced risk is due to the human biorhythm.

Complications of heart surgery

In the past few years, fatal infections have repeatedly occurred in cardiac surgery worldwide, some of which have become life-threatening. Scientists have now discovered that the infections occurred as a result of contaminated equipment. But even if heart surgeries are performed at the wrong time of the day, complications can occur. The medical experts from France have now found out.

Heart surgery is best in the afternoon, according to a recent study. If the procedures are performed at this time of day, the risk of serious complications is significantly reduced. (Image: BillionPhotos.com/fotolia.com)

Do surgery better in the afternoon

The cardiac surgery care in Germany is generally considered very good, but many heart surgeries are made in this country because of financial interests, criticize consumer advocates.

Cardiac surgery is also carried out at the University Hospital in Lille, northern France. Medical researchers at the university now report in a study published in the journal "The Lancet" that such procedures work better in the afternoons.

According to the cardiologists, the risk of serious complications at this time of day is only half that for patients.

The internal clock and the heart rhythm

This is due to the human biorhythm. One of the persons in charge of the study, Bart Staels from the University Hospital Lille, said in a message from the news agency APA:

"The time of day and thus the internal clock and the heart rhythm have an influence on the reaction of a patient to the operation."

The risk of immediate severe complications drops from 18.1 percent to 9.4 percent during an afternoon surgery.

Increased stroke risk

According to the information, the connection is caused by a protein called Rev-erb alpha, which occurs increasingly in the morning in the body.

Experiments on mice have shown that this "watch-protein" ensures that the body is less able to process circulatory disorders, so-called ischemia.

Because the heart has to be temporarily stopped during surgery, the risk of stroke or other complications increases during morning surgery, the study said.

Therefore, according to the scientists, it would be better to operate in the afternoon, although this could cause "logistical difficulties" in some hospitals.

According to the experts, the alternative would also be the development of a drug that limits the effectiveness of the protein.

To reach their results, the researchers from Lille have observed around 600 patients. Now further investigations are necessary to confirm the findings of the study. (Ad)