A common angiotensin-converting enzyme polymorphism and preoperative angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition modify risk of tachyarrhythmias after congenital heart surgery

The risk of tachyarrhythmias after congenital heart surgery is independently affected by the ACE I/D polymorphism. Preoperative ACE inhibition is associated with a lower risk of postoperative tachyarrhythmias, an antiarrhythmic effect that appears genotype dependent. An understanding of genotype variation may play an important role in the perioperative management of congenital heart surgery.