The aim of our study was to evaluate incidence and risk factors of neurological complications in patients who underwent cardiac surgery.

All patients who underwent to cardiovascular procedures beetwenaugust 2007 and may 2012 wereelegible for this retrospective, IRB study. Inclusion criteria were cardiovascular procedures; 2) age > 18 years; 3) brain CT and/or MRI because of postoperative neurologic symptoms. Exclusiom criteria was interval time between onset of symptoms and brain CT/MR of 60 daysor more. CT were performed on a64 detector–row CT scanner (VCT 64; GE).CT protocol is showed in table1.MR were performed on a 1.5 T scanner (Signa HDXT, GE). MR protocol is showed in...

2121 patients underwent to cardiac surgery at our institution. 115/2121 (5.4%) patients (86 males; 52 females; mean age, 60.3 years; range, 6-86) underwent CT or MR because of postoperative neurologic symptoms. Mean interval between CT/MR and surgery was 10.4 days (range 0-60). 43/115 (39%) patients had abnormal CT/MR findings. 43/45 (95%) had ischemic strokes. 2/48 (5%) had hemorrhagic strokes. 70/115 (63%) patients had no acute abnormalities. Details are showed in tables 3-5.No statistically significant difference in epidemiological risk factors between groups. There was no statistically...

Neurological symptoms after cardiac surgery occurred in about 5% of patients. About 3% of these patients had normal or minor findings at imaging. Pre-surgery ICA Ultrasonography screening can be useful to identify patients with higher risk of perioperative neurological complications.

W Wijns, P Kolh,N Danchin, et al. Guidelines on myocardial revascularization. European Heart Journal (2010) 31, 2501–2555. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehq277 EG Grant, CB Benson, GL Moneta, Carotid Artery Stenosis: Gray-Scale and Doppler US Diagnosis—Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound Consensus Conference RadiologyNovember 2003 229:2 340-346; Published online September 18, 2003, doi:10.1148/radiol.2292030516

Francesco Agnello MD,Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutics Services, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IsMETT), University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Italy, Palermo, Italy. [email protected] Settimo CarusoMD, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutics Services, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IsMETT), University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Italy, Palermo, Italy. [email protected] Vincenzo CarolloMD, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutics Services, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IsMETT), University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Italy, Palermo, Italy. [email protected] Francesca CrinòMD, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutics...