Archive · 10 Jan 2026
Late morning heart surgery linked to higher death risk
Scientists in the UK studied over 24,000 heart surgeries and found that surgeries starting in the late morning (around 10 am) had a slightly higher risk of heart-related deaths compared to those starting earlier in the morning.
Most heart surgeries happen between 7 am and 10 am.
The researchers think that understanding a person's body clock could help schedule surgeries at the best time for each patient.
While the increased risk is small, the scientists believe that adjusting surgery times could help improve outcomes for patients.
They also noted that complication rates and hospital readmissions were not affected by the time of day.
The study was published in a medical journal called Anaesthesia.
Late morning heart surgery is linked to an 18% higher risk of heart-related death compared to early morning surgery.
Most heart surgeries (47%) start between 7 am and 9:59 am.
The study analyzed data from over 24,000 patients in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Complication rates and readmissions were unaffected by the time of day.
Researchers suggest integrating body clock biology into surgery scheduling for better patient outcomes.
- Who
- Researchers at The University of Manchester, UK, and over 24,000 heart surgery patients in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
- What
- A study suggesting that late morning heart surgery may increase the risk of cardiovascular deaths compared to early morning surgery
- When
- The study was published on January 10, 2024
- Where
- The study was conducted in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and the research was based at The University of Manchester, UK
- Why
- To understand the influence of the body clock on heart surgery outcomes and to potentially improve patient outcomes through personalized scheduling
- Study Location
- The University of Manchester, UK
- Study Size
- 24,000 patients
- Regions Studied
- England, Wales, Northern Ireland
- Risk Increase
- 18% higher risk of heart-related death
- Most Common Surgery Time
- 07:00 am to 09:59 am (47% of surgeries)
- Journal Published
- Anaesthesia
- Lead Author
- Dr. Gareth Kitchen
