• R Di Bartolomeo, M Di Eusanio, D Pacini, M Pagliaro, C Savini, A Nocchi, and A Pierangeli.
• Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
• Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2001 Jun 1;19(6):765-70.

ObjectiveTo determine independent predictors of neurologic outcome and hospital mortality after surgery of the thoracic aorta using moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest and antegrade selective cerebral perfusion.MethodsBetween November 1996 and June 2000, 96 consecutive patients (69 men, 27 women; mean age 63+/-10 years) underwent operations on the thoracic aorta with the aid of moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest and antegrade selective cerebral perfusion. Sixty-four patients were operated on electively (66.7%), 32 emergently (33.3%). Indications for surgery were: type A acute dissection in 30 patients (31.3%), chronic aneurysm in 66 (68.8%). Seventeen patients (17.7%) had undergone previous aortic/cardiac surgical procedures. The mean selective cerebral perfusion time was 52.2+/-31.9 min (range, 18-220 min). Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis to identify predictors of hospital mortality and neurologic outcome.ResultsThere were no operative deaths; the hospital mortality rate was 11.5% (11/96). Stepwise logistic regression revealed preoperative renal dysfunction (P=0.021), type A acute dissection (P=0.053), coronary artery bypass grafting (P=0.058), post-operative pulmonary complications (P=0.000) and repeat thoracotomy for bleeding (P=0.027) as independent predictors of hospital mortality. One patient sustained a permanent neurologic deficit (1%). Transient neurologic deficit occurred in eight patients (8.3%). Coronary artery bypass grafting (P=0.013), and postoperative cardiac complications (P=0.049) were statistically associated with an increased risk of any (transient and permanent) neurologic dysfunction on univariate analysis. Stepwise logistic regression indicated coronary artery bypass grafting as independent factor for any neurologic dysfunction.ConclusionThis study confirmed that selective cerebral perfusion is an effective method of cerebral protection allowing complex thoracic aorta operations to be performed with low risk of hospital mortality and adverse neurologic outcome. We didn't find that the duration of selective cerebral perfusion time influence hospital mortality and any neurologic deficit.

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