Abstract
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to determine the relationship between the postoperative lactate dynamic levels, the postoperative acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI), and the prognosis among the patients who underwent surgical treatment for an acute Stanford type-A aortic dissection (aTAAD). METHODS: A total of 271 aTAAD patients were recruited and monitored. Of the 271 aTAAD patients, 29.2% developed an AGI and were designated as the AGI group (n = 79); the other patients (n = 192) were designated as the non-AGI group. According to the 2-year follow up, the aTAAD patients were also divided into the alive and death subgroups for further analysis. RESULTS: Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the postoperative 4-h lactate (P4L) level, time-to-return to the normal blood lactate level (TRNL), postoperative 16-h lactate (P16L) level, and neutrophil granulocyte (NEU) count had a good predictive value for an AGI after aTAAD. The 8-week and 2-year mortality rates were higher in the AGI group than the non-AGI group (P < 0.05). Basic data and clinical characteristics were significantly different between the alive and death groups (P < 0.05). A higher AGI rate and mortality occurred in the P4L level ≥10.15 mmol/L subgroup, TRNL ≥21-h subgroup, P16L level ≥2.95 mmol/L subgroup, NEU count ≥10.9 × 10(9)/L subgroup, PaO(2) < 77.7 mmHg subgroup, WBC count ≥9.58 × 10(9)/L subgroup, and the operative time ≥427 min subgroup than the corresponding comparison subgroups (P < 0.05). The postoperative 0-h lactate (P0L) level, TRNL, postoperative 24-h lactate (P24L) level, D-dimer level, fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) level, duration of mechanical ventilation, and length of hospitalization were independent factors influencing the 30-day mortality rate in patients who underwent surgery for an aTAAD (P < 0.05). Cox regression multivariate analysis after univariate analysis of all-cause mortality showed the TRNL, postoperative 12-h lactate (P12L) level, P16L level, P24L level, D-dimer level, FDP level, and length of hospitalization were independently associated with the 2-year mortality rate in patients who underwent surgery for an aTAAD (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The postoperative lactate changes and TRNL effectively predicted postoperative AGI and the mortality rate in patients with who underwent surgery for an aTAAD. The TRNL and P24L level were independent risk factors for the 30-day and 2-year mortality rates in patients who underwent surgery for an aTAAD.