Annually, there are more than 200 million surgeries worldwide. The POISE study revealed 5% of patients undergoing a non-cardiac surgery suffer perioperative myocardial infarcts going along with a perioperative mortality rate of about 11,6%. Possibilities to preoperatively identify patients at risk are limited and prophylactic interventions are not yet established or controversial.~Selected leukocyte subpopulations have been demonstrated to be associated with higher risk for cardiovascular events.~The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential use of regulatory T cells as preoperative risk stratification tool in order to improve clinical risk stratification and reduce perioperative morbidity and mortality. Therefore, high-risk cardiovascular patients scheduled for major non-cardiac surgery will be recruited. Blood will be drawn at predefined time points before surgery and up to three days postoperatively. Leukocytes will be analyzed by flow cytometry. During 30 day follow up adverse cardiovascular events will be recorded. ECGs will be recorded preoperatively and on post-OP day 3. High-sensitive cardiac Troponin T will be measured prior to the operation and on post-OP day one to three. The patient chart will be screened for cardiovascular events up to day 30. A telephone interview will be performed to detect cardiovascular events after discharge until post-OP day 30.
The potential use of regulatory T cells as preoperative risk stratification tool is evaluated in order to improve clinical risk stratification and reduce perioperative morbidity and mortality.