title: Is there any impact of the shape of aortic end-hole cannula on stroke occurrence? clinical evaluation of straight and bent-tip aortic cannulae.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the impact of straight and bent-tip aortic cannulae on stroke occurrence, location, and severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective data were collected on 8,129 patients (coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and/or valvular surgery). 'Bent-tip' aortic cannulae were used in 15.6% of cases and 'straight' end-hole cannulae in 84.4% of cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were a total of 137 strokes: right anterior 52, left anterior 39, bilateral 23, posterior 18, and location not established 5. With the use of bent-tip cannulae, the incidence of strokes was 0.9% versus 1.8% with straight cannulae (chi2, p = 0.026). Bilateral and posterior strokes occurred more often with the use of straight cannulae (chi2, p = 0.015). Straight cannulae also related to the severity of strokes (chi2, p = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an influence of the type of cannula on the occurrence, location, and severity of strokes. Straight cannulae cause significantly more often and more severe bilateral and posterior strokes than bent-tip cannulae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Heart Institute Lahr/Baden, Lahr, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. alexander.albert@heart-lahr.com
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Beller
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arnrich
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: U P
authors.initials: UP
authors.lastname: Rosendahl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hetzel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Priss
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ennker
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005544:Forecasting; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology