Permanent pacemaker placement following valve surgery is not independently associated with worse outcomes

Abstract Background Permanent pacemaker placement (PPM) is associated with morbidity following cardiac surgery. This study identified associations between PPM placement and 5-year outcomes for patients that require PPM following valvular surgery. Methods All patients who underwent valvular surgery at our medical center from 2011 to 2018 were considered for analysis. Multivariable analysis identified associations between PPM placement, mortality, and readmissions. Primary outcomes were operative complications and mortality. Secondary outcomes included 5-year survival and readmission. Results A total of 175 (4.86%) of 3602 valvular surgery patients required postoperative PPM. The PPM cohort had significantly worse baseline comorbidities, including greater Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality (STS-PROM) scores (3.8 vs 2.4 P  Conclusions Valvular surgery patients who required postoperative PPM had elevated baseline operative risk. However, PPM implantation was not associated with mortality or readmission.