Der Anaesthesist
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Neurological disturbances were seen in patients who underwent open heart surgery with prolonged extracorporeal circulation. These were found mainly in patients older than 50 years and when episodes of hypotension lower than 50 mm Hg occurred during cardiopulmonary perfusion. A method of recognizing cerebral hypoperfusion would be most helpful to prevent brain damage. ⋯ Cessation of the orbital oscilogram during extracorporeal circulation does not indicate a cerebral hypoperfusion. No neurological lesion was seen in our patients. We were able to show that amplitude of the ophthalmodynamogram is influenced more by the blood pressure amplitued than the mean arterial pressure.