Risk factors

What are risk factors

A risk factor is something that increases your chance of being harmed. Risk factors for heart surgery can relate to the surgery or the patient. For example, heart surgery has a lower risk of infection than other types of surgery. This is because the area around your heart is unlikely to be infected and does not involve internal organs which might spill their contents into the wound area. This is unlike emergency bowel surgery where faeces from the bowel may contaminate the wound area during surgery.

Find out further information on patient risk factors.