Objective To assess the independent risk factors of in-hospital mortality and morbidity after surgical procedure for Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD). Methods Between May 2013 and May 2015, 341 TAAD patients were treated with surgical procedure in Fu Wai Hospital. There were 246 males and 95 females with a mean age of 47.42±11.54 years (range 29-73 years). Among them, 87 patients suffered severe complications or death after the procedure (complication group) and the other 254 patients recovered well without any severe complications (no complication group). Perioperative clinical data were compared between the two groups. Results Mean age of patients in the complication group was significantly higher than that of the no complication group (49.91±11.22 yearsvs. 46.57±11.54 years,P=0.019). The incidence of preoperative ischemic organ injury in the complication group was significantly higher than that in the no complication group: cerebral ischemia (18.4%vs. 5.9%,P=0.001), spinal cord injury (16.1%vs. 4.7%,P=0.001), acute kidney injury (31.0%vs. 10.6%,P=0.000). The incidence of branch vessels involvement in the complication group was significantly higher than that in the no complication group: coronary artery involvement (52.9%vs. 17.1%,P=0.000), supra-aortic vessels involvement (73.6%vs. 53.9%,P=0.001), celiac artery involvement (37.9%vs. 22.0%,P=0.003), mesenteric artery involvement (18.4%vs. 9.8%,P=0.030), and unilateral or bilateral renal artery involvement (27.6%vs. 9.8%,P=0.000). Surgical time of patients in the complication group was significantly longer than that of the no complication group, including cardiopulmonary bypass time (205.05±63.65 minvs. 167.67±50.24 min,P<0.05) and cross-clamp time (108.11±34.79 minvs. 90.75±27.33 min,P<0.05). Multiple regression analysis found that age, preoperative concomitant cerebral ischemic injury, preoperative concomitant acute renal injury, preoperative limb sensory and/or motor dysfunction, coronary artery involvement, cardiopulmonary bypass time were independent risk factors of postoperative death and severe complications in TAAD patients. However, risk of postoperative mortality and morbidity significantly decreased after the concomitant coronary artery bypass graft [OR=0.167 (0.060, 0.467),P=0.001]. Conclusion The high risk factors of postoperative complication in TAAD patients are explored to provide an important clinical basis for preoperative identification of patients at high risk and we need pay more attention to the prevention of these postoperative complications.