Commentary: Is the glass half full or half empty?

[摘要] Spinal cord deficit (SCD), namely, paraplegia and paraparesis, remains one of the most debilitating complications in open distal aortic surgery. In 2016, Coselli and colleagues1 reported the risk of SCD after open thoracoabdominal aortic surgery, starting from 2.4% in extent IV to 8% in extent II in accordance with the Crawford classification. Despite the advances in technology, improved operative technique, and numerous prevention strategies, the prevalence of SCD remains a concern. Since the use of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) to detect SCD during aortic surgery were first described,2,3 they have become established methods of protection and well studied4-6; however, their clinical utility remains debatable.

[学科分类] 心脏病和心血管学