The impact of long-term antihypertensive treatment on wound healing after major non-cardiac surgery in patients with cardiovascular diseases: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Hypertension is a prevalent condition that poses significant challenges in the perioperative management of patients undergoing major non-cardiac surgery, particularly concerning wound healing and scar formation. This meta-analysis assesses the impact of long-term antihypertensive treatment on postoperative wound healing, examining data from seven studies involving patients who received such treatments compared to untreated controls. Our findings reveal that long-term antihypertensive therapy is associated with significantly improved wound healing outcomes, as indicated by lower REEDA scores (I² = 96%, SMD = -25.71, 95% CI: [-33.71, -17.70], p < 0.01) 1 week post-surgery and reduced scar formation, demonstrated by lower Manchester Scar Scale scores (I² = 93%, SMD = -37.29, 95% CI: [-44.93, -29.64], p < 0.01) 2 months post-surgery. These results underscore the potential benefits of antihypertensive treatment in enhancing surgical recovery and offer insights into optimising perioperative care for hypertensive patients.

Keywords: Manchester Scar Scale; REEDA score; antihypertensive treatment; non‐cardiac surgery; wound healing.