Hybrid debranching and TEVAR of the aortic arch off-pump, in re-do patients with complicated chronic type-A aortic dissections : a critical report

Background: Patients suffering from acute type A aortic dissection undergo replacement of the ascending aorta, the proximal hemiarch or complete aortic arch, depending on the extent of the individual pathology. In a subset of these treated patients, secondary pathologies of the distal anastomosis or the remaining distal part of the aorta occur. The treatment of these pathologies is challenging, requiring major surgical re-do procedures with aortic arch replacement under extracorporeal circulation and hypothermic circulatory arrest. Methods: We report our experience of five patients with complex aortic pathologies after previous aortic surgery treated with a single stage re-do hybrid procedure, consisting of bypass grafting of the supraaortic branches off-pump, stent graft placement for endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and surgical debranching of the aortic arch. Results: In all patients the surgical vascular grafts and stent grafts were deployed successfully, there were no intraoperative deaths. Four out of five patients were discharged from hospital in good clinical condition. One patient died postoperatively due to cardiac tamponade. In one patient a type I endoleak persisted leading to occlusion of a bypass branch requiring surgical revision at one year after debranching. Conclusion: We discuss the prerequisites, all steps and potential pitfalls of this hybrid aortic arch replacement. The current procedure avoids cardiopulmonary bypass and circulatory arrest, which may benefit early patient outcome; however, patient and device selection plays a key role for immediate success and midterm outcomes. In addition, precise procedural planning and development of customized stents may help to develop this procedure into a true alternative for conventional aortic arch replacement

Normothermic frozen elephant trunk: our experience and literature review

none6Background and Objective: The frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique has undoubtable advantages in treating complex and extensive disease of the aortic arch and the thoracic descending aorta. Despite several improvements in cardiopulmonary bypass conduction and surgical strategy, operative times and the institution of systemic circulatory arrest remain the main determinants of early mortality, cerebral/spinal cord injury and visceral organs dysfunction. We have conducted this review to highlight the recent technical advances in arch and FET surgery aiming at the reduction/avoidance of systemic circulatory arrest, and their impact on early outcomes. Methods: A literature search (from origin to January 2022), limited to publications in English, was performed on online platforms and database (PubMed, Google, ResearchGate). After a further review of associated or similar papers, we found 4 experiences, described by 11 peer-reviewed published papers, which focused on minimising or avoiding systemic circulatory arrest during total arch replacement plus stenting of the descending thoracic aorta. Key Content and Findings: Recent experiences reported the use of an antegrade endoaortic balloon, advanced and inflated into the stent graft, to provide an early systemic reperfusion soon after the deployment of the stented portion of the FET prosthesis and minimize the circulatory arrest time (down to a mean of 5 minutes), thus avoiding the need of moderate or deep hypothermia (mean systemic temperature 28-30 ???) while allowing a complete arch and FET repair. Our approach, based on off-pump retrograde vascular stent graft deployment in distal arch/descending thoracic aorta, and the use of a retrograde endoballoon, allows the repair of extensive aortic pathologies during uninterrupted normothermic cerebral and lower body perfusion. Conclusions: The use of endoballoon occlusion has emerged in recent years as a safe and effective strategy to allow distal perfusion during FET repair. This technique minimizes or avoids the detrimental effects of hypothermia and systemic circulatory arrest and significantly reduces the operative times.Malvindi, PG; Alfonsi, J; Berretta, P; Cefarelli, M; Gatta, E; Di Eusanio, MMalvindi, Pg; Alfonsi, J; Berretta, P; Cefarelli, M; Gatta, E; Di Eusanio,

Replacement of the descending thoracic aorta: Contemporary outcomes using hypothermic circulatory arrest

ObjectiveRecent advances in endovascular repair have put into question the role of open surgery on the descending thoracic aorta. We evaluated our experience with replacement of the descending thoracic aorta using hypothermic circulatory arrest.MethodsFrom May 1989 to August 2008, 151 patients (mean age 62 ± 15 years) had descending thoracic aorta replacement using cardiopulmonary bypass and hypothermic circulatory arrest. Concurrent distal aortic arch repair was performed in 71 patients (47%). Seventeen patients (11%) had emergency operation.ResultsThe mean durations of bypass and circulatory arrest were 107 ± 34 and 32 ± 9 minutes, respectively. Stroke occurred in 5 patients (3.3%), spinal cord ischemic injury in 2 patients (1.3%; 1 paraplegia, 1 paraparesis), and renal failure requiring dialysis in 2 patients (1.3%). Thirty-day and 6-month mortality rates were 4.0% and 9.9%, respectively. Following emergency operation, the 30-day mortality rate was 17.6% compared with 2.2% after elective surgery (P = .02). Five- and 10-year survival rates were 71% and 45%, respectively. Five patients required reoperation on the graft or contiguous aorta at a mean of 5 ± 4 years after the initial repair. Five- and 10-year rates of freedom from reoperation were 96% and 92%, respectively.ConclusionsCardiopulmonary bypass with hypothermic circulatory arrest can be safely used for replacement of the descending thoracic aorta. Although more invasive than endovascular stent grafting, this open surgical technique provides definitive repair, maintenance of left subclavian artery patency, protection against spinal cord injury, and early mortality and morbidity rates that do not exceed those reported for endovascular repair

Minimally invasive surgery to the aortic arch – endovascular repair combined with debranching: 4 case reports

Traditional repair of aortic arch aneurysms requires cardiopulmonary bypass and a period of profound hypothermia and circulatory arrest - allowing detachment of the head vessels off the aneurysm, and their anastomosis onto the graft. The procedure is safe and reproducible, however morbidity is significant and includes air embolism, stroke, excessive bleeding and acidosis. In addition the procedures are time-consuming, and cardioplegic arrest is also necessary, resulting in the potential for low cardiac output. Aortic arch aneurysms are not typically suitable for endovascular intervention. With improving techniques of descending aortic repair with stent grafts, hybrid techniques, which involve aortic arch debranching - thereby creating a proximal landing zone of adequate length, followed by stenting over the aortic arch are becoming popular. Methods: Four cases are presented. The technique involves initial sternotomy or upper sternal split, detachment of the innominate and left common carotid arteries, and their reattachment to the ascending aorta by separate grafts (debranching procedure). During this time a side clamp is placed on the ascending aorta. The left subclavian is usually left intact for technical reasons, unless there is a dominant left vertebral artery. This is safe as the shoulder has adequate collateral circulation, and stenting over this vessel is therefore well tolerated. The aortic arch is then completely covered with a stent graft which is inserted via the femoral artery. Arteriography was performed at the end of the procedure to confirm stent graft position and exclusion of the lesion. Results: All surgical transpositions were successful, and the patients recovered without neurologic, bleeding or cardiac complications. Surgical conversion for aortic graft was never required. There were no endoleaks. Mean duration of follow up was 53.5 months (range 21-77). Conclusions: Endovascular repair of the descending thoracic aorta, initially reserved for inoperable patients, is now becoming the accepted initial management. With improved technology and endografts it is now the safest option, especially for traumatic dissection. These techniques have now extended to the aortic arch. Debranching of the aortic arch enables endovascular grafting in this area, thereby avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass and circulatory arrest. Good pre-operative planning is necessary to make the procedure feasible

Surgical technical experience of adult aortic coarctation concomitant with poststenotic aneurysm or dissection.

Aortic coarctation (COA) in adults combined with poststenotic aneurysm (PA) or poststenotic dissection (PD) is rare and challenging to manage. The existence of multiple factors such as kinking, comorbidities, previous surgical history, and descending aortic lesions increases the difficulty of treatment, and there are currently few clinical reports. The purpose of this study was to present our surgical experience in dealing with such patients. A retrospective study was conducted on 20 consecutive patients with COA combined with PA or PD who were treated in our center from December 2015 to April 2019. The basic principles, methods, and short- and mid-term prognosis of surgery are present carefully. This paper introduces the individualized treatment scheme as well as its advantages and disadvantages in detail. The condition of the included patients was complicated, including 12 cases of PA and 8 of PD. Although different surgical schemes were adopted, procedural success rate was 100%. There were no other surgical complications except 2 cases of anastomotic bleeding and 1 case of spinal cord injury. The results of computed tomography angiography (CTA) demonstrated that 9 cases achieved anatomical correction, 10 cases of PA or PD were eliminated or thrombosed to varying degrees, and only 1 case of PA had no obvious change. Up to the follow-up period, except for 1 patient who had a slight cerebrovascular accident and 1 who had no change in PA underwent cheatham platinum (CP) stent surgery, no other cardiovascular adverse events occurred and all patients recovered well. The optimal surgical strategy developed collaboratively by cardiac surgeons and endovascular specialists has achieved satisfactory short- and mid-term results for COA patients combined with PA or PD. Further research is still necessary, due to the limited number of cases

Endovascular Stent-graft Treatment for Stanford Type A Aortic Dissection

AbstractObjectiveThe aim of the study is to summarise our experience of endovascular stent grafting for Stanford type A aortic dissection.DesignRetrospective analysis at single centre.MethodsFrom January 2001 to January 2009, we treated 45 cases of Stanford type A aortic dissection with endovascular stent grafting. The entry tear was located at the ascending aorta in 10 cases (DeBakey type I), the aortic arch in 14 cases and the distal aortic arch or proximal descending aorta in 21 cases in which the ascending aorta was also involved by the dissection.ResultsThe surgical success rate was 97.8% (44/45) and 30-day mortality rate was 6.7% (3/45). Type I endoleaks occurred in 10 cases: one patient died intra-operatively, four were successfully treated with ballooning, four were sealed with aortic cuffs and one case caused by left subclavian artery (LSA) reflux was sealed with an occluder. Average follow-up time was 35.5 ± 5.4 months. Up to the most recent review or death, 32 patients had complete thrombosis and 10 had partial thrombosis inside the false lumen. Two deaths occurred after 30-days postoperatively.ConclusionEndovascular stent-graft treatment is a minimally invasive and effective method to treat Stanford type A aortic dissection

Definitions, History and General Considerations Related to the Aortic Aneurysms

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Current status and recommendations for use of the frozen elephant trunk technique: a position paper by the Vascular Domain of EACTS†

The implementation of new surgical techniques offers chances but carries risks. Usually, several years pass before a critical appraisal and a balanced opinion of a new treatment method are available and rely on the evidence from the literature and expert's opinion. The frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique has been increasingly used to treat complex pathologies of the aortic arch and the descending aorta, but there still is an ongoing discussion within the surgical community about the optimal indications. This paper represents a common effort of the Vascular Domain of EACTS together with several surgeons with particular expertise in aortic surgery, and summarizes the current knowledge and the state of the art about the FET technique. The majority of the information about the FET technique has been extracted from 97 focused publications already available in the PubMed database (cohort studies, case reports, reviews, small series, meta-analyses and best evidence topics) published in Englis

Long-term results of the open stent-grafting technique for extended aortic arch disease

ObjectiveThis report elucidates the long-term safety and effectiveness of extended aortic arch replacement with an open stent-grafting technique from our 12 years of experience.MethodsFrom 1994 to 2004, 126 patients (mean age 67.8 years) with different pathologic conditions of the aortic arch with extension to the descending aorta (57 dissections [acute/chronic = 31/26] and 69 aneurysms) were operated on with an open stent-grafting technique. During deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with selective cerebral perfusion, the stent graft was delivered through the transected proximal aortic arch, and arch replacement with a 4-branched prosthesis was performed.ResultsOperative mortality within 30 days was 3.2%. Perioperative morbidity included 7 (5.6%) strokes and 8 (6.3%) spinal injuries (paraplegia in 3, transient paraparesis in 5). Sixty-three percent of the patients were extubated within 24 hours. In long-term follow-up (mean 60.4 ± 36.5 months, maximum 153 months), survival was 81.1%, 63.3%, and 53.7% at 1, 5, and 8 years. Five (3.9%) late endoleaks were observed but treated with successful additional endovascular repair. Freedom from endoleaks was 98.0%, 91.1%, and 91.1% for 1, 5, and 8 years, respectively.ConclusionLong-term observation showed safety and good durability of the open stent-grafting technique for aortic arch disease. This technique could be an attractive treatment option for aortic arch aneurysm with distal extension and aortic dissection requiring aortic arch replacement