Link Between Moon Cycle and Heart Surgery? Plainview Doctor Weighs In

A doctor at North Shore-LIJ Plainview Hospital told a health website that the results of a health study that found a link between successful heart surgery and the moon cycle "tantalizing."

The study conducted by researchers at the Cardiovascular Institute at Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals, investigated whether lunar cycles phases impact hospital survival and length of stay after patients underwent aortic dissection repair, according to the U.S. News and World Report Website.

An aortic dissection is a condition in which a tear develops  the aorta. The survey found that those who scheduled surgery during a full moon stayed in the hospital for 10 days on average, while those who had surgery during other moon phases stayed 14 days on average.  Patients were less likely to die during a waning full moon phase, according to the survey published by the journal, "Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery."

Dr. David Friedman, Plainview Hospital's chief of heart failure services called the findings "tantalizing"  and told US News  that other studies have shown increases in heart attacks and strokes on Monday mornings and during the winter.

But Friedman wants more information.

"Although the findings showed decreased chance of death and shorter hospital stays of those patients who had aortic dissection repair during a full-moon period, I don't think enough data is yet available to draw any meaningful generalizations," he told the website.