Stroke in coronary bypass surgery.

A retrospective review of 253 patients who underwent coronary bypass surgery was performed. Eight (3.2%) had suffered a stroke either intra-operatively (4) or during the early post-operative period (4). A comparison of pre-operative and intra-operative variables between the stroke group and the stroke-free group showed a significant difference only for the hemoglobin level (p less than 0.01). All intraoperative strokes occurred in patients who had undergone femoral cannulation; it is suggested that this may have been a source of embolic material in these patients. An embolic origin for most of the strokes (both intra-operative and post-operative) is postulated on the basis of clinical and pathological findings.