title: Surgical risk of preoperative malperfusion in acute type A aortic dissection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients who have type A dissection with preoperative malperfusion syndromes are believed to be at extremely high surgical risk. Our aim was to evaluate perioperative and long-term results of patients with preoperative malperfusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 276 patients (174 men; mean age 59.5 +/- 13.4 years) underwent surgery for acute type A dissection between October 1994 and January 2008. Preoperative malperfusion syndromes were diagnosed in 93 (33.7%) patients (group I) and involved coronary circulation in 41 (15%) patients, central nervous system in 39 (14%) patients, limb ischemia in 32 (11.6%) patients, and mesenteric circulation in 8 (3%) patients. Postoperative results were compared between patients with preoperative malperfusion and those without this complication (group II, n = 183).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In-hospital mortality was 29.0% in group I versus 13.6% in group II (P = .002). The postoperative intensive care unit stay was longer (11.4 +/- 9.7 vs 7.7 +/- 6.9 days; P = .04) in the malperfusion group. A total of 6 (75%) patients with mesenteric malperfusion died. Long-term follow-up (range, 1-122 months postoperatively) was available in 100% of survivors. One-year and 5-year overall survivals were 49.8% +/- 11.8% and 41.8% +/- 12.6% in group I versus 70.4% +/- 7.6% and 56% +/- 10.4% in group II (P = .005). Cox regression analysis identified preoperative malperfusion as a significant risk factor for long-term mortality after surgery for type A dissection (hazard ratio, 1.7; 95% confidence intervals, 1.2-3.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative malperfusion is a significant risk factor influencing perioperative and long-term survival after surgery for acute type A dissection. Percutaneous interventional procedures and delayed surgery should be considered in patients with clinically apparent mesenteric malperfusion because of the dismal prognosis of immediate surgical therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Heart Center Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. evagird@centras.lt
authors.forename: Evaldas
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Girdauskas
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuntze
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Borger
authors.forename: Volkmar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.forename: Friedrich-Wilhelm
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Mohr
mesh_terms: D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D001775:Blood Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000098:blood supply; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D005121:Extremities / Q000098:blood supply; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057234:Preoperative Period; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013152:Splanchnic Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome