Predictors of return to work after open triple-branched stent graft placement for acute type A aortic dissection

Abstract

AbstractOBJECTIVESTo investigate the rate of returning to work within 12 months after open triple-branched stent graft placement in acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) patients and the reasons why patients did not return to work.METHODSWe conducted this cohort study of AAAD patients who were discharged alive from the hospital at Fujian Cardiac Center during the period 2013–2018. The collected data included the patients’ baseline characteristics, employment status at 12 months after AAAD and variables classifying the potential reasons for those who did not return to work at 12 months. We applied logistic regression to estimate the factors associated with returning to work at 12 months.RESULTSOne year after AAAD hospitalization, of the 326 AAAD patients, 81 (24.8%) returned to work, 231 (70.9%) did not and 14 (4.3%) died. Among the 231 patients who did not return to work, 105 (45.5%) were unable to work because of AAAD and 36 (15.6%) lost job owing to AAAD. After adjustment for other risk factors, age, female sex, type of work, operating time, aortic cross-clamp time and length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay were still significantly associated with a lower chance of returning to work.CONCLUSIONSLess than 25% of the previously employed patients returned to work at 12 months after AAAD. Older age, female sex, manual or semi-skilled professional work, a longer operating time, a longer aortic cross-clamp time and a longer length of ICU stay were associated with a lower likelihood of returning to work.