Stroke after coronary artery bypass: incidence, predictors, and clinical outcome.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Early postoperative stroke is a serious adverse event after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This study sought to investigate risk factors, prevalence, and prognostic implications of postoperative stroke in patients undergoing CABG.

METHODS: We investigated the predictors of postoperative stroke (n=333, 2%) in 16 528 consecutive patients who underwent CABG between September 1989 and June 1999 in our institution. Predictors of postoperative stroke were identified by logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS: Among the preoperative and postoperative factors, significant correlates of stroke included (1) chronic renal insufficiency (P<0.001), (2) recent myocardial infarction (P=0.01), (3) previous cerebrovascular accident (P<0.001), (4) carotid artery disease (P<0.001), (5) hypertension (P<0.001), (6) diabetes (P=0.001), (7) age >75 years (P=0.008), (8) moderate/severe left ventricular dysfunction (P=0.01), (9) low cardiac output syndrome (P<0.001), and (10) atrial fibrillation (P<0.001). Postoperative stroke was associated with longer postoperative stay (11+/-4 versus 7+/-3 days for patients without stroke, P<0.001) and with higher in-hospital mortality (14% versus 2.7% for patients without stroke; P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Stroke after CABG is associated with high short-term morbidity and mortality. Increased stroke risk can be predicted by preoperative and postoperative clinical factors.