In-Hospital Mortality After Cardiac Surgery: Patient Characteristics, Timing, and Association With Postoperative Length of Intensive Care Unit and Hospital Stay

Most in-hospital mortality occurs during the first week after cardiac surgery with few mortalities occurring after a protracted hospital course. Postoperative complications have a limited ability to explain the variability in mortality timing. Increased length of postoperative intensive care unit stay and hospital stay after cardiac surgery are associated with an increased likelihood of in-hospital mortality.