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Spinal cord infarction following coronary artery bypass grafting surgery

Daniel Rossi1, Donnie Goodwin, Jose Cruzzavala

  • 1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA.

The West Virginia Medical Journal
|November 15, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery rarely causes spinal cord infarction. This study found only one reported case after extensive review, highlighting its infrequent occurrence.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Cardiovascular Surgery
  • Vascular Medicine

Background:

  • Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is a common major surgery in the US, with 350,000 annual procedures.
  • A 1-2% stroke rate is associated with CABG, particularly in elderly patients.
  • Spinal cord infarction is an infrequent neurological complication with limited incidence data.

Observation:

  • A large autopsy study reported spinal cord infarction in only 0.23% of deaths.
  • Estimates suggest an annual incidence of 12 per 100,000 for spinal stroke.
  • A comprehensive literature review identified only a single documented case of spinal cord infarction post-CABG.

Findings:

  • Spinal cord infarction is an exceptionally rare complication following coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
  • The available data indicates a very low incidence of spinal cord infarction in the general population and post-CABG.

Implications:

  • The findings underscore the low risk of spinal cord infarction after CABG, reassuring for patients and clinicians.
  • Further research may be warranted to precisely define the incidence and risk factors for spinal cord infarction in surgical patients.
  • This information is crucial for accurate patient counseling and risk-benefit assessments for CABG procedures.

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