Preoperative IV Iron Beneficial for Patients With Anemia Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For patients with anemia undergoing elective cardiac surgery, preoperative intravenous iron is associated with improved outcomes, according to a study published online Aug. 19 in The BMJ.

Paul S. Myles, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., D.Sc., from Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues examined the effects of intravenous iron on red cell transfusion and recovery after cardiac surgery in 33 hospitals across 10 countries in a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial. Participants included 955 adults with anemia undergoing elective cardiac surgery who were randomly assigned by a computer-generated program to intravenous iron 1,000 mg or placebo one to 26 weeks before surgery.

Overall, 921 of the eligible 939 modified intention-to-treat participants were assessed for the primary outcome. The researchers found that the median number of days alive and at home up to 90 days after surgery were 81.1 and 80.0 in patients assigned to intravenous iron and in those receiving placebo, respectively (adjusted median difference, 1.0 day). During their hospital stay, red cell transfusions were given to 61.1 and 68.2 percent of patients in the iron and placebo groups, respectively (relative risk, 0.90). There were no differences seen for major complications or length of stay.

“Intravenous iron administered to patients with anemia in the weeks before elective cardiac surgery increased the preoperative hemoglobin concentration and partly corrected anemia, reduced red cell transfusions, and resulted in an extra day at home in the first 90 days after surgery,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text