ObjectKnowledge about the risk factors of in-hospital mortality for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) patients who received total arch procedure is limited. This study aims to investigate preoperative and intraoperative risk factors of in-hospital mortality of these patients.MethodsFrom May 2014 to June 2018, 372 ATAAD patients received the total arch procedure in our institution. These patients were divided into survival and death groups, and patients` in-hospital data were retrospectively collected. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was adopted to determine the optimal cut-off value of continuous variables. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to detect independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality.ResultsA total of 321 patients were included in the survival group and 51 in the death group. Preoperative details showed that patients in the death group were older (55.4 ± 11.7 vs. 49.3 ± 12.6,P= 0.001), had more renal dysfunction (29.4% vs. 10.9%,P= 0.001) and coronary ostia dissection (29.4% vs. 12.2%,P= 0.001), and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (57.5 ± 7.9% vs. 59.8 ± 7.3%,P= 0.032). Intraoperative results showed that more patients in the death group experienced concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (35.3% vs. 15.3%,P= 0.001) with increased cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (165.7 ± 39.0 vs. 149.4 ± 35.8 min,P= 0.003), cross-clamp time (98.4 ± 24.5 vs. 90.2 ± 26.9 min,P= 0.044), and red blood cell transfusion (913.7 ± 629.0 vs. 709.7 ± 686.6 ml,P= 0.047). Logistic regression analysis showed that age >55 years, renal dysfunction, CPB time >144 min, and RBC transfusion >1,300 ml were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with ATAAD.ConclusionIn the present study, we identified that older age, preoperative renal dysfunction, long CPB time, and intraoperative massive transfusion were risk factors for in-hospital mortality in ATAAD patients with the total arch procedure.