Predicting Cerebrovascular Adverse Events Post Cardiac Surgery

Predicting Cerebrovascular Adverse Events Post Cardiac Surgery With Cardiopulmonary Bypass by Means of Cerebral AutoreguLation Indices

The aims of this study are: i) to assess cerebral autoregulation and autonomic control within the different phases of cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass; ii) to compare cerebral autoregulation measures derived via cerebral blood flow velocity estimated by transcranial Doppler device with simpler measurements derived from near infrared spectroscopy; iii) to develop a predictive model of postoperative cerebrovascular outcome (overt or silent stroke) based on the extracted indices.

Inclusion Criteria:

• age older than 18 years
• spontaneous sinus rhythm
• no pregnancy
• signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• age lower than 18 years
• absence of sinus rhythm
• autonomic disorders
• concomitant carotid intervention
• reintervention
• contraindication to MRI
• pregnancy
• impossibility of informed consent