Determinants of neurological complications with the use of extracorporeal circulation (ECC).

Mailing address: Natia de Freitas Barbosa • Rua Edson Silveira, 29, Casa 05 São Gabriel 31980-120 Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Manuscript received March 11, 2009; revised manuscript received September 03, 2009; accepted December 15, 2009. performance of surgeries. To attribute one given alteration to a single procedure is a complex idea; however, some authors classify ECC as an independent variable for the occurrence of neurological dysfunctions7-9. Nonetheless, some studies mention other factors as the cause of cerebral lesions, namely: advanced age, severity of disease, anesthetic-surgical procedure, and others10,11.