Prompt surgery is effective for acute type A aortic dissection with cerebral ischemia

BACKGROUND: Acute type A aortic dissection (aTAAD) with preoperative cerebral ischemia (CI) is common and lethal, but the timing and treatment method remain uncertain. We retrospectively reviewed our aTAAD patients with CI and analyzed the outcomes and related risk factors. METHODS: From January 2011 to December 2019, 1,173 patients diagnosed with aTAAD from Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital were enrolled. Among them, 131 patients had CI preoperatively (CI group), and 1,042 patients were in the non-CI group. One hundred eight in the CI group and 984 in the non-CI group received central repair surgery. Fifteen patients had postoperative cerebral complications (CC) and 93 had non-CCs. ROC curves were used to identify the safe duration of preoperative CI. RESULTS: The CI group was older (56.3 vs. 53.2 years, P=0.013) and had lower rates of pain, chest pain and back pain (77.9% vs. 94.4%, 75.4% vs. 87.5% and 30.8% vs. 42.3%, respectively) than the non-CI group. The CI group had a higher rate of preoperative hypotension and tamponade (13.7% vs. 6.0%, 26.9% vs. 10.4%, respectively; P=0.000). More patients in the CI group did not receive central repair surgery, and the CI had higher mortality (28.2% vs. 15.9%). CI without central repair surgery was a strong risk factor for mortality. CI patients with CC after central repair had a higher mortality, and preoperative coma was the strongest risk factor for postoperative CC.A duration between CI symptoms and central repair surgery of less than 12.75 hours is recommended. CONCLUSIONS: Prompt surgery is effective for aTAAD with CI, and preoperative coma and a safe duration longer than 12.75 hours would predict worse outcomes.