Long-term results after cardiac surgery in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)

Abstract

Objectives: Assessment of long-term results of immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)-infected patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of profile and outcomes of 31 HIV-1-infected patients (35 operations, 1985-2002).

Results: Twenty-seven males and four females (mean age 34.67) in three groups: acute infective endocarditis (AIE) 21 (67.74%), coronary (CAD) 5 (16.13%) and non-infective valvular disease (NIVD) 5 (16.13%). HIV factors: drug addiction (23-74.19%), homosexuality (5-16.12%), heterosexuality (3-9.67%), hemodialysis (1-3.22%). HIV stage: A (17), B (2), C (2) in AIE; A (2), B (3) in CAD and A (3), C (2) in NIVD. Mean preoperative CD4 count was 278 cells/microL (12<200 cells/microL, 38.7%). The most frequent pathogens: S. aureus (52.38%), S. viridans (23.8%), Candida (19.04%). Native valve involved in 22 cases (78.33%) and prostheses in 8 (26.67%); 8.57% were operated in 1980-1985, 14.28% in 1986-1990, 22.85% in 1991-1995 and 54.28% in 1996-2002 with 16 elective (48.17%), 17 urgent (45.71%) and two emergencies (5.71%); mean aortic clamping and cardiopulmonary bypass time 78.9 and 107.47 min. Hospital mortality was 22.58 and 28.57% in AIE. No CAD patient died. Nine patients (37.5%) died between 2 and 171 months (mean 54.5). Mortality was 50% in AIE. CD4 count increased from 185.33 to 396.55 cells/microL (P=0.43) in nine patients on antiretrovirals. Fifteen-year actuarial survival is 58.16% overall and 48.01% for AIE.

Conclusions: There is an increase in HIV-1-infected patients requiring cardiac surgery, a decrease in AIE, however NIVD and CAD increasingly seen. Cardiac surgery did not blunt CD4 response induced by antiretrovirals. The late cause of death were not AIDS-related events.