CORONARY-ARTERY-BYPASS; ACUTE ISCHEMIC-STROKE; PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR; PERIOPERATIVE STROKE; CAROTID STENOSIS; RISK-FACTORS; SONOTHROMBOLYSIS; THROMBOLYSIS; IMPAIRMENT; EFFICACY

Here, we examined whether intraoperative sonolysis can alter the risk of new ischemic lesions in the insonated brain artery territory during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or valve surgery. Silent brain ischemic lesions could be detected in as many as two-thirds of patients after CABG or valve surgery. Patients indicated for CABG or valve surgery were allocated randomly to sonolysis (60 patients, 37 males; mean age, 65.3 years) of the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) during cardiac surgery and control group (60 patients, 37 males; mean age, 65.3 years). Neurologic examination, cognitive function tests, and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were conducted before intervention as well as 24 to 72 hours and 30 days after surgery.