[Neurologic and psychiatric complications after heart surgery]

In 63 patients undergoing heart operations with extracorporeal circulation (47 males, 16 females, mean age 54 years; coronary artery bypass in 38 cases, valvular surgery in the rest) postoperative neurological and psychiatric complications were evaluated. 18 patients (29%) had no complications, whereas 35 patients (56%) showed minor or transient neurological symptoms, and 9 patients (14%) exhibited severe symptoms. Nine of the patients had slight psychiatric disturbances (affective disturbances, disorientation). No correlation was found between risk factors (age, nicotine abuse, hypertension, hypercholesteremia, neurologic and cardiac history), intraoperative parameters (duration of extracorporeal bypass, aortic clamp time, deviation of mean arterial pressure), postoperative parameters (internal complications) and the complication rate. Therefore no predisposing factors could be identified.