Quality of Life After Cardiac Surgery: The QUACS Study and Benefit Prediction Model

The QUACS Study prospectively evaluated quality-of-life (QoL) changes in 2,762 moderate- and high-risk cardiac surgery patients across a national multicenter cohort (2019–2023). Hospital mortality was 3.93 percent, with 5.86 percent dying after discharge. At one-year, a net QoL benefit was achieved in 74 percent of symptomatic patients but only 18 percent of those deemed asymptomatic. This study identified risk factors for failing to benefit and developed a preoperative QoL calculator. The authors argue these tools can improve informed consent and reduce harmful interventions.