Cardiopulmonary Bypass Perfusion Parameters and Early Postoperative Outcomes in Adult Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a standard of contemporary cardiac surgery, but the difference in the perfusion parameters may contribute considerably to the postoperative outcomes. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the cardiopulmonary bypass parameters, operative profiles, and early postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery at Jinnah Hospital Lahore from January 2024 – August 2025. Methodology: There were 51 successive patients who were undergoing open-heart surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass and a retrospective study was carried out. Surgical procedures were mitral valve replacement (n=18), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG, n=17), aortic valve replacement (n=7), atrial septal defect (ASD) repair (n=4), dual valve replacement (n=4) and Bentall/combined AVR+CABG (n=2). Perfusion variables were monitored such as bypass time, aortic cross-clamp time, flow rate, perfusion temperature, anticoagulation (ACT) and blood gas values. Findings: Cardiopulmonary bypass time was 45-120 minutes and mean cross-clamp time was 35-90 minutes, based on the complexity of the procedure. The acid base management was effectively observed in all the cases and no significant complications in relation to perfusion were reported. Most of the patients had postoperative hemodynamic and satisfactory recovery profiles that were stable. A minor percentage of them had to spend a long time in ICU because of comorbid conditions and not because of the problems with intraoperative perfusion. Conclusion: The results provide a demonstration of the uniform and successful perfusion practices in the cardiac surgery unit of Jinnah Hospital Lahore. Differences in bypass and cross-clamp times were procedure specific but did not have a negative impact on the postoperative outcomes. Periodic review of perfusion data serves as an invaluable contribution to continuing clinical protocol improvements and strengthening the presence of qualified personnel as a guarantee of safe cardiac surgery within the framework of a developing country.