Background: Coronary artery bypass surgery is associated with central and peripheral nervous system complications in the period following surgery. Recognising these complications may help in their prevention or early treatment.
Methods: We reviewed medical records of all the patients who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery at our institution over a period of two years. We studied their risk factors, reasons for surgery, operative variables, and post operative neurologic complications.
Results: Of the 587 coronary artery bypass surgeries performed at our centre over a two year period. We found that 2.04% of these patients developed neurologic complication in the two weeks following the surgery. Fifty percent of these patients suffered from cerebrovascular insults and 50% suffered from cognitive decline. No patients in this group developed seizures or peripheral nerve lesions. Patients with renal failure, carotid stenosis, history of cerebral strokes, and redo coronary bypass surgery were more predisposed to develop neurologic complications after bypass surgery. Furthermore, a longer stay in the coronary care unit and the development of arrhythmias predisposed patients to neurologic complications. Mortality for patients who developed neurologic complications post bypass surgery ranged between 16.7% and 33.4%.
Conclusions: Around 2% of patients who undergo coronary artery bypass surgery develop neurologic complications in the period directly after the surgery. Patients with previous history of cerebral, coronary, or carotid disease are more predisposed for such complications, as well as patients who spend more time in the intensive units after the surgery.