Publications

Abstract : Preoperative risk scores are essential tools for risk assessment, cost–benefit analysis, and the study of therapy trends. Various scoring systems have been developed to predict mortality and morbidity after cardiac surgery. Risk stratification will inform patients and clinicians of the likely risk of death for a group of patients with a similar risk profile undergoing the proposed operation. This information is useful and should form part of the basis on which the patient and surgeon decide whether to proceed or not. Risk models were also applied for quality improvement programs comparing year-to-year outcomes, as well as allocation of healthcare resources through the prediction of length of stay and postoperative complication rates. In this review, we focus on the various risk score models used in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery.