Methods: This retrospective single-center study included 993 (279 females, 714 males; mean age: 61.2±10.5 years; range 32 to 91 years) of a total of 1044 patients who underwent elective cardiac surgery and met ACEF scores between January 2011 and February 2013. The observed operative mortality and predicted operative mortality using the ACEF score and the logistic EuroSCORE were calculated.

Results: The observed mortality rate was 1.70%. The calculated ACEF score predicted mortality was similar to the observed mortality (2.38%; p=0.269), whereas the logistic EuroSCORE predicted mortality overestimated the observed mortality (3.26%; p=0.021). The comparison analysis was repeated for isolated coronary artery bypass graft patients in whom both systems overestimated the mortality rate (ACEF: 2.45%, p=0.009; logistic EuroSCORE: 2.78%; p=0.022 vs. observed mortality: 1.0%).

Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study documenting the ACEF score predicted mortality results from Turkey. The ACEF score predicted mortality was comparable to the observed mortality in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery, whereas the logistic EuroSCORE predicted mortality overestimated the observed mortality. In addition, both systems overestimated the mortality in isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery.