INTRODUCTION
cardiac valve replacement, hypoxia, POCD, Postoperative cognitive dysfunction, high‐dose opioids,, neurologic complication, cerebral microemboli
HYPERGLYCEMIA, INFLAMMATION, HYPOXIA, NEUROLOGIC COMPLICATION
Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is considered as a common neurologic complication in elderly patients undergoing open cardiac surgery.The increasing number of elderly patients undergoing surgery has led to an increased incidence of POCD.Over the last decade, various methods are used to prevent and treat POCD in cardiac patients with the increasing understanding of the mechanisms involved. A large number of studies have shown that application of high‐dose opioids, hyperglycemia, inflammation, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), the formation of cerebral microemboli, anaesthesia and hypoxia are some mechanisms suggested for POCD.Therefore, we hypothesized that the incidence of POCD at 1 week after surgery would be lower in patients who received TTMP blocks compared with those who received placebo. The aim of this study was to assess whether bilateral TTMP blocks can reduce the incidence of POCD in patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement under CPB.