Myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery – state of the art

Abstract

Approximately 300 million non-cardiac surgeries are performed annually worldwide and adverse cardiovascular events are the main cause of morbidity and mortality in the peri-and postoperative period. Myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery (MINS) is a new clinical entity associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. MINS is defined as myocardial injury that can result in necrosis due to ischemia, marked by increase in biomarker levels. It has prognostic relevance and occurs within up to 30 days after non-cardiac surgery. The diagnostic criteria for MINS are an elevated postoperative measure of troponin judged as secondary to myocardial ischemia, i.e., with no evidence of a non-ischemic etiology, during or within 30 days after non-cardiac surgery, and without the requirement of an ischemic symptom or electrocardiographic finding of ischemia. Recently, patients at higher risk for MINS have been recognized using clinical variables and biomarkers and established protocols for greater surveillance in relation to electrocardiographic monitoring and cardiac troponin dosage. Elderly patients with previous atherosclerotic disease need to measure troponin daily in the postoperative period. The aim of the present work is to describe this new public health problem, its clinical impact and contemporary therapeutic approach.