Research Reveals High Risk, Impact of Stroke Following Vascular Surgery

Patients who undergo major vascular surgery procedures are at increased risk of stroke, leading to a high mortality rate and prolonged hospitalization — that’s according to a study in the February issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, the official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

The risk factors for stroke associated with vascular surgery, such as old age or a history of previous heart disease or stroke, are not “readily modifiable,” reports the study by Milad Sharifpour, MD, and colleagues at University of Michigan Medical Center. Using a large surgical database — the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) — researchers identified nearly 46,000 patients undergoing vascular surgery at U.S. hospitals between 2005 and 2009. The study focused on specific types of procedures involving the major blood vessels: amputation or blood vessel reconstruction of the leg or aneurysm repair or other procedures on the aorta. For more information, click here to read the full release.