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Preventing Cerebral Complications of Cardiac Surgery

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Prevention of Stroke

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Abstract

Considering the number of potential threats during heart surgery, the brain has proved to be remarkably resistant to serious injury. Nonetheless, stroke and encephalopathy remain major causes of morbidity following open heart surgery (OHS) (Table 18.1). This chapter focuses on the incidence, etiology, and prevention of these complications. The data presented largely apply to coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery since our knowledge of the cerebral complications of OHS is derived mostly from studies of this operation. However, in a study from our institution, the risk of stroke or encephalopathy during CABG surgery did not differ significantly from other forms of cardiac surgery not involving transplantation.1

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Authors
  1. Marc I. Chimowitz
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  2. Anthony J. Furlan
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M4N 3M5, Canada

    John W. Norris M.D.

  2. Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5A5, Canada

    Vladimir C. Hachinski M.D.

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© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Chimowitz, M.I., Furlan, A.J. (1991). Preventing Cerebral Complications of Cardiac Surgery. In: Norris, J.W., Hachinski, V.C. (eds) Prevention of Stroke. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4226-8_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4226-8_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-4228-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-4226-8

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