Objectives: To evaluate the effect of preoperative malperfusion on 30-day and late mortality and postoperative complications using data from the Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (ATAAD) registry.Methods: We studied 1159 patients who underwent ATAAD surgery between January 2005 and December 2014 at 8 Nordic centers. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of 30-day and late mortality.Results: Preoperative malperfusion was identified in 381 of 1159 patients (33%) who underwent ATAAD surgery. Thirty-day mortality was 28.9% in patients with preoperative malperfusion and 12.1% in those without. Independent predictors of 30-day mortality included any malperfusion (odds ratio, 2.76; 95% confidence interval [

OBJECTIVES Stroke is a serious complication in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). Previous studies investigating stroke in ATAAD patients have been limited by small cohorts and have shown diverging results. We sought to identify risk factors for stroke and to evaluate the effect of stroke on outcomes in surgical ATAAD patients. METHODS The Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection database included patients operated for ATAAD at 8 Scandinavian Hospitals between 2005 and 2014. RESULTS Stroke occurred in 177 (15.7%) out of 1128 patients. Patients with stroke presented more frequently with cerebral malperfusion (20.6% vs 6.3%, P < 0.001), syncope (30.6% vs 17.6%, P < 0.001), cardiogenic shock (33.1% vs 20.7%, P < 0.001) and pericardial tamponade (25.9% vs 14.7%, P < 0.001) and more often underwent total aortic arch replacement (10.7% vs 4.7%, P = 0.016), compared to patients without stroke. In the 86 patients presenting with cerebral malperfusion, 38.4% developed stroke. Thirty-day and 5-year mortality in patients with and without stroke were 27.1% vs 13.6% and 42.9% vs 25.6%, respectively. Stroke was an independent predictor of early- [odds ratio 2.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34–3.05; P < 0.001] and midterm mortality (hazard ratio 1.68, 95% CI 1.27–2.23; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Stroke in ATAAD patients is associated with increased early- and midterm mortality. Preoperative cerebral malperfusion and impaired haemodynamics, as well as total aortic arch replacement, were more frequent among patients who developed stroke. Importantly, a large proportion of patients presenting with cerebral malperfusion did not develop a permanent stroke, indicating that signs of cerebral malperfusion should not be considered a contraindication for surgery.

Type A aortic dissection repair in low- to medium-volume centers was associated with a low reoperation rate and satisfactory midterm survival. The extent of the primary repair had no significant influence on reoperation rate or midterm survival.