Levosimendan for patients with heart failure undergoing major oncological surgery: A randomised blinded pilot study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are among the leading causes of mortality worldwide. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of preoperative administration of levosimendan in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) scheduled for major abdominal oncologic surgery. METHODS: This study included 60 patients with abdominal malignancy, ejection fraction (EF) <35% and CHF scheduled for surgery under isoflurane-fentanyl anaesthesia and were managed in the surgical intensive care unit perioperatively. They were randomised to receive levosimendan infusion (n = 30) at a dose of 0.1 μg/kg/min or placebo (n = 30) for 24 hours before surgery. RESULTS: The risk of hypotension (RR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.19-0.83) or decompensated heart failure (RR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.12-0.76) was significantly lower in the levosimendan group. The ejection fraction, cardiac index and stroke volume index were significantly higher in the levosimendan group after surgery (P < 0.001). Duration of postoperative ventilation and hospital stay were significantly shorter in the levosimendan group (P < 0.001) while the frequency of dysrhythmia, deterioration of renal function and sepsis was comparable. CONCLUSION: In patients with low EF <35% and CHF, administration of levosimendan for 24 hours before major abdominal oncologic surgeries may reduce the risk of hypotension and decompensated heart failure and may improve cardiac function.