Clinical presentation is the main predictor of in-hospital death for patients with acute type a aortic dissection admitted for surgical treatment: A 25 years experience

Background This retrospective analysis assessed the hypothesis that clinical status on admission more than other variables related to surgical or post-operative management may influence in-hospital mortality after surgical treatment of acute type A aortic dissection. Methods Between January 1979 and April 2004, 311 patients, mean age of 59.5 ± 13 years (range, 18 to 88 years), with acute type A aortic dissection were referred for surgery. Logistic regression analysis was applied to demographics, etiological, clinical, and surgical variables, to identify independent predictors of in hospital death. Results In hospital mortality rate was 23%. Univariate analysis showed older age (p = 0.03, OR1.02/yrs), cardiac tamponade (p = 0.001; OR 2.43), hypotension (p = 0.0001; OR 8), myocardial ischemia (p = 0.005; OR 7), acute renal failure (p = 0.0001; OR 4.16), limb ischemia (p = 0.0002; OR 3.3), neurological deficits pre-op (p = 0.0001; OR 8.5), and mesenteric ischemia (p = 0.003) as independent predictors of in-hospital death. Multivariate analysis identified the following presenting variables as predictors of in-hospital death: hypotension (p = 0.003; OR 7.4), myocardial ischemia (p = 0.03; OR 5.8), mesenteric ischemia (p = 0.009), acute renal failure (p = 0.0001; OR 3.9), neurological deficits (p = 0.0001; OR 7.7). In-hospital mortality for the group of patients presenting with at least one of the tested pre-operative complications (N = 158; 51%) was 33% vs 12% (p = 00001). No other variables emerged as significant for in-hospital death. Conclusion In an era of standardized surgical technique, expeditious referral and intervention by lowering preoperative dissection-related complications and co-morbidities might represent the most efficacious tool to improve results.