Stroke after heart valve surgery: a single center institution report

Stroke is a potentially debilitating complication of heart valve replacement surgery, with rates ranging from 1 to 10%. Despite advancements in surgical techniques, the incidence of postoperative stroke remains a significant concern, impacting patient outcomes and healthcare resources. This study aims to investigate the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of in-hospital adverse neurologic events, particularly stroke, following valve replacement. The analysis focuses on identifying patient characteristics and procedural factors associated with increased stroke risk.

This retrospective study involves a review of 417 consecutive patients who underwent SVR between January 2004 and December 2022. The study cohort was extracted from a prospectively recorded cardiac intensive care unit database. Preoperative and perioperative data were collected, and subjects with specific exclusion criteria were omitted from the analysis. The analysis includes demographic information, preoperative risk factors, and perioperative variables.

The study identified a 4.3% incidence of postoperative stroke among SVR patients. Risk factors associated with increased stroke susceptibility included prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-clamp duration exceeding 90 min, prior stroke history, diabetes mellitus, and mitral valve annulus calcification. Patients undergoing combined procedures, such as aortic valve replacement with mitral valve replacement or coronary artery bypass grafting with AVR and MVR, (OR = 10.74, CI:2.65-43.44, p-value = < 0.001) and (OR = 11.66, CI:1.02-132.70, p-value = 0.048) respectively, exhibited elevated risks. Internal carotid artery stenosis (< 75%) and requiring prolonged inotropic support were also associated with increased stroke risk(OR = 3.04, CI:1.13-8.12, P-value = 0.026). The occurrence of stroke correlated with extended intensive care unit stay (OR = 1.12, CI: 1.04-1.20, P-value = 0.002) and heightened in-hospital mortality.

In conclusion, our study identifies key risk factors and underscores the importance of proactive measures to reduce postoperative stroke incidence in surgical valve replacement patients.