Frequency of cerebral infarction after pulmonary resection: a multicenter, retrospective study in Japan

Excerpt

Cerebral infarction is a relatively rare complication of thoracic surgery, generally related to risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and a history of vascular diseases including cerebral infarction and ischemic heart disease [1, 2]. As even older patients can be candidates for pulmonary surgery now, if they have an acceptable performance status, the number of pulmonary resections being performed for elderly patients is increasing [3]. Accordingly, the frequency of cerebral infarction is also increasing. On the other hand, some reports have noted that there may be a relationship between the type of pulmonary resection and postoperative cerebral infarction. Regardless of the cause, it is necessary to quantify the incidence of cerebral infarction after pulmonary resection. …