, Lucia de Fatima da Silva

Objective: To characterize patients undergoing cardiac surgery at a referral hospital in northern of Ceara. Method: This is a quantitative and descriptive study using documentary analysis carried out by 176 medical records in accordance with the ethical aspects of Resolution 196/96. Results: We identified predominantly men, married, living in distant cities of the health service and a greater tendency for people over 40 years old. The hospital stay was low, contributing to reduction of risks related to hospitalization, also reducing the cost of these services, for influencing turnover and availability of beds. Discussion: This study shows high turnover and effectiveness of the service, allowing also envision that the primary surgery is coronary artery bypass surgery in men with the duration of hospitalization in about four days. Conclusion: We found that despite the risks of a cardiovascular surgery in the studied hospital, the patients recover with a great success. Descriptors: Cardiopathy, Heart surgery, Profile