The Washington University radio service is available by mail throughout the country. We also can make our doctors and scientists available for longer interviews about their work or to comment on important developments in science and health policy.
Stroke is one of the most common and devastating side effects of cardiac surgery.
When surgeons manipulate vessels filled with plaques and other blockages, pieces can break loose, float through the bloodstream and disrupt blood flow to the brain, resulting in stroke. In an effort to lower the incidence of stroke after cardiac surgery, Washington University researchers have spent years looking at possible risk factors, and in a new study of more than 3,000 patients, they've identified two major risks. Patients who have had a previous stroke are 14 times more likely to have another during or after heart surgery, and women are three times more likely than men to suffer a stroke. Other risk factors include blockages in the aorta, diabetes and atrial fibrillation, an erratic heartbeat. The researchers hope that identifying the risk factors will help them to identify the patients who require special care before and after heart surgery.