OBJECTIVE

To estimate the frequency of early postoperative neurological complications in patients undergoing planned surgery on the ascending aortic and arch of the aorta, and their long-term outcomes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The prospective study included 100 patients who were operated on at the FSBSI Petrovsky Russian Research Center of Surgery. In group I (n=50), operations were performed on the aortic arch with hypothermic circulatory arrest (26 °C) and antegrade cerebral perfusion. Patients in group II underwent prosthetics of the ascending aorta with extracorporeal circulation and moderate hypothermia (32 °C). All patients underwent monitoring of cerebral and tissue oxygenation, transcranial Doppler and testing of cognitive functions before and after surgery, and after 5 and 10 years of follow-up.

RESULTS

Postoperative stroke in group I was observed in 1 (2%) patient, no cases were observed in group II. Delirium was detected in 14% of patients in group I and 6% of patients in group II, its subsyndromal form was found in 6 and 4%, respectively. Moderate cognitive impairment in the immediate postoperative period was found in 42 and 26%; severe in 8% of group I. After 5 years of follow-up, the number of patients with moderate and severe cognitive impairment was 23.1 and 12.8%, respectively. After 10 years, severe disorders were identified in 37.5 and 21.9% of patients.

CONCLUSION

In cardiac surgery patients, intraoperative multimodal monitoring allows dynamic regulation of antegrade cerebral perfusion. Dynamic testing of cognitive functions and early detection of delirium in the immediate postoperative period improve long-term neurological treatment outcomes.