Atherosclerosis of the aorta and prevention of neurological dysfunction after cardiac surgery

Abstract

On May 6, 1953, John H Gibbon Jr., a Philadelphia surgeon, performed the world's first successful open heart procedure in which total heart-lung bypass was employed.1 Since that time, aortic manipulation and postoperative neurological complications have coexisted. Aortic atherosclerosis remains a significant marker of coronary artery disease, perioperative vascular events, stroke, and even renal dysfunction. Although cardiac surgery is unique in that manipulation of the ascending aorta is almost routine, surgical handling of a diseased aorta is not always without risk. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.