I understand your concern about the risks of cardiopulmonary bypass and general anesthesia. These risks are most clinically evident in elderly patients who have atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries and possibly, prior strokes. In general, there can be mild cognitive impairment after cardiopulmonary bypass but in my experience, it is rare that a patient has long-term memory loss. However, you may want to meet with the cardiac surgeon and cardiac anesthesiologist who will be involved in your surgery beforehand to hear their opinion on the risks. I hope you find this information useful.
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Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem. Information contained within this forum is intended solely for general educational purposes and is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice relative to your specific medical condition or question. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies.