Evaluation of cardiac involvement following major orthopedic surgery

: Cardiovascular morbidity is frequent after non-cardiac surgery and the early recognition of cardiac involvement is an essential tool for clinical risk stratification and management. The aim of this study was to investigate the behavior of traditional and emerging cardiac markers, including NT-prohormone-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), in the perioperative period in patients undergoing major uncomplicated orthopedic surgery. : A total of 37 patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery were longitudinally evaluated for NT-proBNP, IMA, cardiac troponin T (cTnT), creatine kinase isoenzyme MB and myoglobin 3h before surgery and 4 and 72h thereafter. : NT-proBNP values were significantly increased at 72h postoperative compared to both 3h preoperative and 4h postoperative (NT-proBNP: 20 vs. 4.5pmol/L, p