Table 2. Patients’ pre-operative characteristics.

	N (%)
Age (mean ± SD; years)	61±10
Male	106 (86.9)
Urgency/emergency	17 (13.9)
Hypertension	106 (86.9)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	19 (15.6)
Renal insufficiency	3 (2.5)
Coronary artery disease	11 (9.0)
Diabetes	3 (2.5)
Cerebral vasculopathy	7 (5.7)
Previous cardiac/aortic surgery	69 (56.6)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, defined as a forced expiratory volume in 1 second between 30% and 50% of the predicted value with or without chronic symptoms; Renal insufficiency, defined by creatinine >1.2 mg/dL in patients undergoing elective interventions and/or by a urine 
output <10 mL/kg/min in those undergoing emergency surgery; Coronary artery disease, as documented at pre-operative coronary imaging, or based on patient history of previous acute myocardial infarction, or previous percutaneous or surgical myocardial revascularization; Cerebral vasculopathy, cerebrovascular accident >72 hours, and/or carotid artery stenosis >50%; SD, standard deviation