Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria were patients with porcelain aorta or left
ventricular mural thrombi identified by preoperative
trans-thoracic/trans-oesophageal echocardiogram, angiogram and
intraoperative records of atheromatous aorta (extensive calcifications,
focal atheromas) and the presence of clinically relevant internal
carotid artery atherosclerosis (stenosis ≥70% of luminal diameter).
Given the exclusion criteria, the analysed patient population is to be
considered at low to moderate risk for neurological events.