Background 

Cardiac disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the African population. In fact, 38% of all non-communicable disease (NCD) related mortality in Africa is reportedly due to cardiac disease or cardiovascular disease.1 Furthermore, the African continent has yet to rid itself of cardiac complications related to rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.2 Therefore, medical therapy alone might be insufficient for cardiac disease management, necessitating surgical intervention in some cases, but as with most major surgical procedures, cardiac surgery is not without risks.
Major postoperative complications including mortality, cardiovascular complications, renal failure, intensive care unit admission, reoperation, and sepsis/infection are on the rise. As these postoperative complications continue to rise, the uncertainty about the rate of their occurrence has gravely limited the ability to plan for any mitigation strategies and interventions.

A continental audit of cardiac surgery procedures and perioperative complications is needed. Information from this process can be used to build capacity for cardiac surgery in the African continent. It can also be used to drive quality improvement initiatives, and to provide more accurate information on postoperative complications of patients undergoing cardiac surgery in this setting.

Study Objective

The primary objectives of this study are:
1. To determine the in-hospital mortality (28-day in-hospital mortality) rate for patients undergoing cardiac surgery in Africa.
2. To determine the incidence of in-hospital postoperative complications in adult cardiac surgical patients in Africa

The secondary objectives include:
1. To determine the rate of mortality on the day of surgery for patients undergoing cardiac surgery in Africa.
2. To describe the relationship between cardiac postoperative complications and postoperative mortality.
3. To describe the proportional contribution of communicable, non-communicable diseases and traumatic injuries to in-hospital mortality and critical care admissions in Africa.
4. To develop a contextual preoperative adult cardiac mortality prediction tool.

Study Design

A 28-day, prospective, observational African national multi-centre cohort study of all (adult and paediatric) patients undergoing open and closed cardiac surgery.

Data on the characteristics of sites providing cardiothoracic surgery and anaesthesia, and infrastructure (cardiothoracic department, cardiology department, functional cardiothoracic surgery theatres) in the recruited hospitals will be collected.

Importance of this Study

The differences in the surgical characteristics and the predictors of morbidity between SASOS and EuSOS suggested that African surgical outcomes data was necessary to identify predictors of morbidity which could be targeted to make surgery safer in Africa, and potentially in other lower- and middle-income countries across the globe. It can be posited that, the need of research that will identify predictors that may be targeted to make cardiac surgeries safer in Africa is even more pronounced. Only once we understand the complexity, and the burden of morbidity and mortality associated with cardiac surgery in Africa will we be able to allocate resources appropriately and finally consider interventions to improve patient outcomes. This study therefore has important public health implications for Africa.

Study Dates

Data collection for the study will start in March 2026. National leaders will determine (with their teams) the start date for their country/territory.