The median intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (hours) and hospital length of stay (days) were 39 hours (IQR, 32-45) and 5.5 days (IQR, 5-6) for Group I, versus 56.5 hours (IQR, 49-69) and 8.5 days (IQR, 7-13) for Group II (P=0.001), that difference between groups is statistically significant. The median bleeding loss (ml) postoperatively was 925 (IQR, 650-1200) in group I versus 1075 (IQR, 900-1400) in group II (P= 0.021), which is statistically significant, with a median of 2 units of packed red blood cells (RBCs) transfused (IQR, 1–2) in group I compared to a median of 2 packed RBCs units transfused (IQR, 2-3) in group II (P= 0.002), which is statistically significant also. However, the rate of re-exploration for bleeding did not differ significantly between both groups, with 1 case only (2.5%) in group I versus 2 cases (5%) in group II (P= 0.556) (Table 6), and no postoperative delayed cardiac tamponade noted in any of the two groups.
The post-operative complications for groups I and II included 0 (0%) versus 3 (7.5%) prolonged mechanical ventilation (>24 h) (P= 0.077), 0 (0%) versus 1 (2.5%) respiratory complications (P= 0.314), 0 (0%) versus 2 (5%) wound infection (P= 0.152), 0 (0%) versus 1 (2.5%) cerebrovascular accidents (P= 0.314), 2 (5%) versus 1 (2.5%) acute kidney injury (P= 0.556), respectively. There is no statistically significant difference between both groups regarding these previous post-operative complications. None of the patients in both groups died within the first 30 days after surgery (Table 6).