Association of overlapping cardiac surgery with short-term patient outcomes.
Surgical overlap is a longstanding practice, and reports suggest a link to postoperative complications and patient safety. This study measured the impact of overlap on patient outcomes among patients undergoing cardiac surgical interventions over a two-year period and found that overlap did not predict mortality, readmission, reoperation or emergency department visits at 30- or 90-days post-discharge, compared to patients without surgical overlap.