Heart sounds are altered by open cardiac surgery.
Exp Clin Cardiol 2009;
14:18-20. [PMID:
19675823 PMCID:
PMC2722454]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2009] [Accepted: 03/27/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Patients have reported that they perceive their own heart sounds differently after open cardiac surgery than before the surgery. The present study was designed to investigate whether changes in heart sounds can be quantitatively measured.
METHOD
Heart sounds were recorded from 57 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and from a control group of 10 subjects. The so-called Hjorth descriptors and the main frequency peak were compared before and after surgery to determine whether the characteristics of the heart sounds had changed.
RESULTS
At a group level, the first heart sound was found to be significantly different after CABG surgery. Generally, the heart sounds shifted toward a lower frequency after surgery in the CABG group. No significant changes were found in the control group.
CONCLUSIONS
Heart sounds are altered after CABG surgery. The changes are objectively quantifiable and may also be subjectively perceived by the patients.
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