Professor Toby Richards, our Clinical Lead for Vascular Surgery, and his colleagues are testing the benefits and risks of IV iron administration in anemic patients awaiting cardiac surgery. This is important research, given that 20-30% of patients awaiting cardiac surgery are anemic, and that this increases the likelihood of requiring a red cell transfusion and is associated with further complications, intensive care, and hospital stay following surgery.
Iron deficiency is the primary cause of anemia and so administering it preoperatively may tackle the disease, and improve patient outcomes following cardiac surgery.
