Cardiac surgery in Indigenous Australians: how wide is 'the gap'?

Background: Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality in the Indigenous Australian population. Limited research exists in regards to cardiac surgery in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) population. We aimed to investigate risk profiles, surgical pathologies, surgical management and short term outcomes in a contemporary group of patients. Methods: Variables were assessed for 557 consecutive patients who underwent surgery at our institution between August 2008 and March 2010. Results: 19.2% (107/557) of patients were of Indigenous origin. ATSI patients were significantly younger at time of surgery (mean age 54.1 ± 13.23 vs. 63.1 ± 12.46; p =