title: Perioperative risk factors for mortality in patients with acute type A aortic dissection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with acute type A aortic dissection are associated with a high mortality rate and postoperative complications. This study was designed to explore perioperative risk factors for death in patients with acute type A aortic dissection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred nine consecutive surgical patients with acute type A aortic dissection were included in the present study. Thirty-five perioperative risk factors were used in the statistical analysis for mortality prediction. The 30-day mortality rate for all patients was 30% (33 of 109). Univariate analysis revealed 5 preoperative and intraoperative risk factors that were found to be statistically significant predictors for death: older age, renal failure, preoperative hemodynamic instability, preoperative cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and lack of retrograde cerebral perfusion (P < 0.05). Rupture of aneurysm, hypothermic circulatory arrest time, and operation date were not found to be risk factors for death. Stepwise multiple logistic regression confirmed that older age and lack of retrograde cerebral perfusion were statistically significant independent risk factors for death (P < 0.05). Four postoperative complications were found to be statistically significant prognostic indicators for death: liver failure, stroke, sepsis, and reoperation after the initial surgery (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Perioperative risk factors for death after the operation for acute type A aortic dissection were identified. This will allow physicians and surgeons to better assess the patient's risk, which will lead to better outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Vienna, Austria. MEhrl98000@aol.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grabenwöger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cartes-Zumelzu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wolner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Havel
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000145:classification / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors