AUTHOR=Biancari Fausto , Demal Till , Nappi Francesco , Onorati Francesco , Francica Alessandra , Peterss Sven , Buech Joscha , Fiore Antonio , Folliguet Thierry , Perrotti Andrea , Hervé Amélie , Conradi Lenard , Rukosujew Andreas , Pinto Angel G. , Lega Javier Rodriguez , Pol Marek , Rocek Jan , Kacer Petr , Wisniewski Konrad , Mazzaro Enzo , Vendramin Igor , Piani Daniela , Ferrante Luisa , Rinaldi Mauro , Quintana Eduard , Pruna-Guillen Robert , Gerelli Sebastien , Di Perna Dario , Acharya Metesh , Mariscalco Giovanni , Field Mark , Kuduvalli Manoj , Pettinari Matteo , Rosato Stefano , D’Errigo Paola , Jormalainen Mikko , Mustonen Caius , Mäkikallio Timo , Dell’Aquila Angelo M. , Juvonen Tatu , Gatti Giuseppe TITLE=Baseline risk factors of in-hospital mortality after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection: an ERTAAD study JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2023.1307935 DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2023.1307935 ISSN=2297-055X ABSTRACT=Background: Surgery for type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is associated with high risk of mortality. Current risk scoring methods have a limited predictive accuracy. Methods: The subjects of the present analysis were patients who underwent surgery for acute TAAD at 18 European centers of cardiac surgery from the European Registry of Type A Aortic Dissection (ERTAAD). Results: Out of 3902 patients included in the ERTAAD, 2477 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria of the present analysis. In the validation dataset (2229 patients) the rate of in-hospital mortality was 18.4%. The rate of composite outcome (in-hospital death, stroke/global ischemia, dialysis and/or acute heart failure) was 41.2% and 10-year mortality was 47.0%. Logistic regression identified the following patient-related variables associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality (AUC 0.755, 95%CI 0.729-0.780; Brier score 0.128): age, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), arterial lactate, iatrogenic dissection, left ventricular ejection fraction≤50%, invasive mechanical ventilation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation immediately before surgery and cerebral, mesenteric and peripheral malperfusion. The estimated risk score was associated with an increased risk of composite outcome (AUC 0.689, 95%CI 0.667-0.711) and of late mortality (HR 1.035, 95%CI 1.031-1.038; Harrell’s C 0.702; Somer’s D 0.403). In the validation dataset (248 patients), the in-hospital mortality rate was 16.1%, that of composite outcome was 41.5% and 10-year mortality rate was 49.1%. The estimated risk score was predictive of in-hospital mortality (AUC 0.703, 95%CI 0.613-0.793; Brier score 0.121; slope 0.905) and of composite outcome (AUC 0.682, 95%CI 0.614-0.749). The estimated risk score was predictive of late mortality (HR 1.035, 95%CI 1.031-1.038; Harrell’s C 0.702; Somer’s D 0.403), also when hospital deaths were excluded from the analysis (HR 1.024, 95%CI 1.018-1.031; Harrell’s C 0.630; Somer’s D 0.261). Conclusions: The present analysis identified several baseline clinical risk factors, along with preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate and arterial lactate, which are predictive of in-hospital mortality and major postoperative adverse events after surgical repair of acute TAAD. These risk factors may be valuable components for risk adjustment in the evaluation of surgical and anesthesiologic strategies aiming to improve the results of surgery for TAAD.