Circulating microaggregates during cardiac surgery precedes postoperative stroke.

Postoperative stroke and encephalopathy are potentially serious complications associated with coronary artery bypass grafting. In this case report a 78-year-old male patient receiving routine elective cardiac surgery presented with microaggregations in the sublingual microcirculation while on cardiopulmonary bypass that was undetected by routine intraoperative anticoagulation assessment. Microaggregates identified using video microscopy on his sublingual microcirculation during the procedure preceded a stroke postoperatively.