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.