Intraoperative Anesthesia Handoff Does Not Affect Patient Outcomes after Cardiac Surgery: A Single-Center Experience

Background. Intraoperative team turnover is necessary given the duration of many cardiac surgical procedures, despite being an established risk factor for harm. We sought to determine if there was association between intraoperative anesthesia handoff (AH) and patient morbidity and/or mortality after surgery. Methods. All adult surgery procedures from November 2016 through 2021 were retrospectively interrogated AH. These results merged with postoperative outcomes data analyzed mortality. Results. A single AH occurred in 1,087/5,937 (18.3%) two or more AHs 224 (3.8%) procedures. Baseline characteristics show that frequently associated higher complexity patients operations. The primary outcome operative 113 (2.4%), 54 (5.0%), 7 (3.1%) no AH, multiple cohorts. After multivariable adjustment, odds ratio 1.15 (95% CI 0.79–1.67 P = 0.46 ) a 0.83 0.36–1.90 id="M2"> 0.66 There significant differences readmission, length stay, composite complication cohorts adjustment. Conclusions. In large single-center experience, handoffs not adverse