Perioperative markers of MI and survival after vascular surgery

We studied 447 consecutive major vascular surgery patients using perioperative continuous 12-lead electrocardiogram monitoring and measurements of cardiac troponin I and T, or both, as well as creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) to determine whether they predicted prognosis and at which levels. Measurements were taken for the first three postoperative days, and patients were followed for up to 5 years. Results showed that even at their low cutoff levels, postoperative CK-MB and troponin were independent and complementary predictors of long-term mortality following major vascular surgery.