title: Stroke in thoracic aortic surgery: outcome and risk factors.
abstract: The risk factors and the outcome of stroke in thoracic aortic surgery were studied in 127 patients (86 males, 41 females), aged 18 to 84 years (mean, 64 years), operated on between September 1994 and December 2000. There were 29 operations on the ascending aorta, 63 arch, 29 descending, 5 thoracoabdominal, and 1 extraanatomical bypass. Perioperative stroke occurred in 15 patients (12%). The risk factors for stroke were identified as preexisting chronic renal failure and femoral arterial cannulation. Hospital death occurred in 4 of the 15 cases (27%) of stroke and 7 of the 112 cases (6%) without stroke (p < 0.05). There were 18 late deaths during a mean follow-up period of 3.2 years (range, 1 month to 7.2 years). The 3-year survival rates were 43 +/- 14% in the stroke patients and 85 +/- 4% in the other patients. Actuarial survival, including during hospitalization, was lower in the stroke patients than in the other patients not only among those 70 years or older but also among all the patients (both p < 0.0001). Stroke occurring in thoracic aortic surgery is thus an important risk factor for early and late mortality, particularly in patients 70 years or older.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Clinical Research Institute, National Kyushu Medical Center, Fukuoka, Japan. kawachiy@qmed.hosp.go.jp
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawachi
authors.forename: Atsuhiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toshima
authors.forename: Tomokazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kosuga
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imasaka
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomoeda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data