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Background: Several studies have reported short- and intermediate-term outcomes after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (DTAA); however, reports on long-term (10 years) outcomes are sparse. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze predictors impacting long-term outcome after TEVAR for DTAA., Methods: Databases from four academic institutions were reviewed and consecutive cases of TEVAR for DTAA between 1999 and 2021 were included in this retrospective multicenter study (case series). Ethical approval from the institutional review board was obtained and patient demographics and treatment data, as well as follow-up information were retrieved and analyzed., Results: We identified 305 patients (mean age, 72 ± 10 years) who were treated with TEVAR for degenerative DTAA with a mean aortic diameter of 64 mm. Altogether 445 endografts were implanted via femoral access (93%) with a technical success of 94%. Operative mortality, stroke rate, and rate of spinal cord ischemia were 6% (5% for intact, 12% for ruptured DTAA), 4%, and 3%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier estimates for overall survival rates were 76%, 59% and 34% at 1, 5 and 10 years and freedom from reintervention rates were 84%, 73% and 58% at 1, 5 and 10 years, respectively. In multivariate analysis, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 3 to 5 and nonelective case were identified as predictors for death, whereas as fusiform DTAA, proximal landing zone 2, and hypertension, but not device generation, were predictive for reintervention., Conclusions: This study is, to date, the largest reporting long-term (10 years) outcome on TEVAR for DTAA. We found acceptable rates for long-term survival and freedom from reintervention that were independent of endovascular device generation., Competing Interests: Disclosures B.D. received educational grants from Vascutek/Terumo Aortic and W. L. Gore & Associates and consultancy fees from Cook Medical. A.O. received an educational grant from Jotec; speaker and traveling fees from Cook Medical, Jotec, Lombard, Medtronic, W. L. Gore & Associates, and Endologix; and is proctor/part of the advisory board of Jotec. H.E.B. received an educational grant from W. L. Gore & Associates, and consultancy fees from Vascutek/Terumo Aortic., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique, initially developed as a one-stage procedure to treat extensive thoracic aortic aneurysms, has since been adapted to address acute and chronic aortic dissections by closing entry tears and expanding the true lumen. It has become widely adopted due to its effectiveness in managing aortic diseases. We present the case of a 39-year-old female with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) who developed recurrent type B aortic dissection accompanied by rapid expansion. The patient, a compromised host with multiple comorbidities such as glomerulonephritis, chronic renal failure, alveolar hemorrhage, and acute pancreatitis, required urgent surgical intervention. Given the complexity of her condition and the high risks associated with direct surgery, a staged approach was selected. The first stage involved using a novel FET prosthesis, the FROZENIX Partial ET (FPET), inserted via median sternotomy, followed by a left thoracotomy for non-deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (non-DHCA) descending aortic replacement. The surgery led to favorable outcomes without any major complications or sequelae. FPET offers distinct advantages in this complex scenario. Its design features a 2 cm stent-free distal section, which reduces the risk of distal stent graft-induced new entries (dSINEs) and simplifies anastomosis during the second stage of surgery. For patients with severe comorbidities and anatomical challenges that make the thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) unsuitable, a staged open surgical approach is a viable alternative, mitigating the risks linked to DHCA. This case underscores the utility of a staged surgical approach using FPET in managing complicated chronic type B aortic dissection in patients with significant comorbidities. The FPET prosthesis facilitates effective lesion control while minimizing the risk of dSINEs and streamlining subsequent surgical procedures, presenting a promising strategy for similar complex cases., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Kinoshita et al.)

Objective: During open descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (DTAA/TAAA) repair, we used a routine T8-T12 intercostal artery (ICA) reattachment strategy from July 2004 to June 2009 and after 2017, we used a selective ICA reattachment strategy (reattaching T8-T12 ICAs only when neuromonitor signals were lost) from July 2009 to 2016. This study reviewed our nearly 2-decade experience to assess the impact of 2 ICA reattachment strategies on spinal cord injury (SCI)., Methods: All open DTAA/TAAA repairs performed from July 2004 to June 2022 were included, except for cases without intraoperative cerebral spinal fluid drainage. Perioperative data were reviewed. Univariable and multivariable analyses and propensity matching for risk-adjusted effects of 2 strategies for ICA reattachment on SCI were used., Results: In all, 375 patients were operated on with selective strategy and 584 with routine strategy. Age and prevalence of rupture and redo were similar in the 2 groups. The rate of operative mortality and immediate SCI was also similar (selective vs routine: mortality, 12.5% vs 12.3%; immediate SCI, 3.2% vs 2.2%). However, the incidence of delayed and permanent SCI was increased in the selective group (delayed, 10.4% vs 6.9%; permanent, 8.5% vs 5.3%). Multivariable analyses demonstrated selective strategy was a predictor of delayed and permanent SCI, along with TAAA extent II/III, and older age., Conclusions: Two strategies of ICA reattachment did not impact the incidence of immediate SCI, which was infrequent, but the selective strategy was associated with greater rates of delayed permanent SCI. Reattachment of the ICAs within T8-T12 should be performed during open DTAA/TAAA., Competing Interests: Drs Estrera and Sandhu are consultants for WL Gore. Dr Estrera is a speaker for Terumo Aortic. All other authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling or reviewing manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between sex and outcomes following thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for intact isolated descending thoracic aortic aneurysms (iiDTAA)., Background: Data regarding sex-related long-term outcomes after TEVAR for iiDTAA are limited and conflicting results regarding perioperative outcomes have been reported., Methods: We included all TEVAR for iiDTAA between 2014 and 2019 in the Vascular Quality Initiative linked to Medicare claims, allowing reliable assessment of long-term outcome data. Primary outcomes included 5-year mortality, reinterventions, and ruptures of the thoracic aorta. Secondarily, we assessed perioperative outcomes., Results: We identified 685 patients, of which 54% were females. Females had higher aortic size index {females vs males: 3.31 [interquartile range (IQR), 2.81-3.85] cm/m 2 vs 2.93 (IQR, 2.42-3.36) cm/m 2 ; P <0.001}, were more frequently symptomatic (31% vs 20%; P =0.001), had longer procedure time [111 (IQR, 72-165) minutes vs 97 (IQR, 70-146) minutes] and more iliac procedures (16% vs 7.6%; P =0.001). Compared with males, females had similar rates of 5-year mortality [58% vs 53%; hazard ratio (HR), 0.93; 95% CI: 0.71-1.22; P =0.61), reinterventions (39% vs 30%; HR, 1.12; 95% CI: 0.73-1.73; P =0.60), and late ruptures (0.6% vs 1.2%; HR, 0.87; 95% CI: 0.12-6.18; P =0.89). After adjustment, these outcomes remained similar through 5 years. Furthermore, perioperative mortality was not significantly different between sexes (4.1% vs 2.2%; P =0.25), as were rates of any complication as a composite outcome (16% vs 21%; P =0.16), as well as of individual complications (all P >0.05)., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that females who undergo TEVAR for iiDTAA have similar 5-year and perioperative outcomes as compared with males., Competing Interests: H.J.M.V. is a consultant of Medtronic, WL Gore, Terumo, Atrivion, Endologix, Philips. S.T. is a consultant for Terumo, Medtronic, and WL Gore. The remaining authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has gained preference over open surgical repair (OSR) as the intervention of choice for patients with descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (DTA). This study aimed to compare the outcomes of patients with DTA undergoing OSR and TEVAR with contemporary findings., Evidence Acquisition: A comprehensive search of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases was conducted to identify relevant randomized controlled trials or studies utilizing propensity-score analysis or reporting risk-adjusted outcomes. The search was performed up until March 2023., Evidence Synthesis: Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, including 4 studies using propensity-score matching and four studies reporting risk-adjusted outcomes, comprising 14,873 patients with DTA undergoing OSR (N.=10,882) and TEVAR (N.=3991). Operative mortality was similar between the two interventions (odds ratio 0.92, 95% CI 0.70-1.21, P=0.57, I 2 =0%). However, overall long-term mortality was significantly higher after TEVAR compared to OSR (Hazard Ratio [HR] 1.30, 95% CI 1.05-1.59, P=0.01, I 2 =0%). Phase-specific analysis revealed comparable risks of mortality within 1 year and between one and two years after interventions, while the risk of mortality was significantly higher after TEVAR compared to OSR beyond two years (HR 1.77, 95% CI, 1.19-2.63, P=0.01. I 2 =0%)., Conclusions: This study demonstrated comparable operative mortality between OSR and TEVAR, but higher long-term mortality associated with TEVAR in patients with DTA. The phase-specific analysis highlighted the survival advantage of OSR beyond 2 years. These findings suggest a need for reconsidering OSR indications in the management of DTA.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the relationship between covering the intercostal artery branching of the Adamkiewicz artery (ICA-AKA) and spinal cord ischemia (SCI) during thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR)., Methods: Patients who underwent TEVAR from 2008 to 2022 were enrolled. Stent grafts covered the ICA-AKA in 108 patients (covered AKA group) and stent grafts didn't cover the ICA-AKA in 114 patients (uncovered AKA group). The characteristics of 58 patients from each group were matched based on propensity scores., Results: No significant differences in SCI rates were detected between the covered AKA (10%; 11/108) and uncovered AKA (3.5%; 4/114) groups ( P  = .061). Shaggy aorta (odds ratio [OR], 5.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.74-15.3, P  = .003), iliac artery access (OR, 6.81; 95% CI, 2.22-20.9, P  = .001), and procedural time (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.02, P  = .003) were risk factors for SCI in the entire cohort. Although covering the ICA-AKA (OR, 2.60; 95% CI, 0.86-7.88, P  = .058) was not a significant risk factor, shaggy aorta (OR, 8.15; 95% CI, 2.07-32.1, P  = .003), iliac artery access (OR, 9.09; 95% CI, 2.22-37.2, P  = .002), and procedural time (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.01-1.02, P  = .008) were risk factors for SCI in the covered AKA group. No significant risk factors were detected in the uncovered AKA group., Conclusions: Covering the ICA-AKA was not an independent risk for SCI in TEVAR. However, covering the ICA-AKA was indirectly associated with the risk of SCI in patients with shaggy aorta, iliac access, and procedural time., Competing Interests: The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling or reviewing manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Objective: To use machine learning to predict rupture, dissection, and all-cause mortality for patients with descending and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms in an effort to improve on diameter-based surgical intervention criteria., Methods: Retrospective data from 1083 patients with descending aortic diameters 3.0 cm or greater were collected, with a mean follow-up time of 3.52 years and an average descending diameter of 4.13 cm. Six machine learning classifiers were trained using 44 variables to predict the occurrence of dissection, rupture, or all-cause mortality within 1, 2, or 5 years of initial patient encounter for a total of 54 (6 × 3 × 3) separate classifiers. Classifier performance was measured using area under the receiver operator curve., Results: Machine learning models achieved area under the receiver operator curves of 0.842 to 0.872 when predicting type B dissection, 0.847 to 0.856 when predicting type B dissection or rupture, and 0.820 to 0.845 when predicting type B dissection, rupture, or all-cause mortality. All models consistently outperformed descending aortic diameter across all end points (area under the receiver operator curve = 0.713-0.733). Feature importance inspection showed that other features beyond aortic diameter, such as a history of myocardial infarction, hypertension, and patient sex, play an important role in improving risk prediction., Conclusions: This study provides surgeons with a more accurate, machine learning-based, risk-stratification metric to predict complications for patients with descending aortic aneurysms., (Copyright © 2022 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Prior literature is conflicted regarding the effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) on outcomes after endovascular repair of aortic aneurysms. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between DM and outcomes after thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) for thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA)., Methods: We identified patients who underwent TEVAR for TAA of the descending thoracic aorta in the Vascular Quality Initiative between 2014 and 2022. We created two cohorts, DM and nonDM, based on the patient's preoperative DM status, and secondarily substratified patients with DM by management strategy: dietary management, noninsulin medications, and insulin therapy cohorts. Outcomes included perioperative and 5-year mortality, in-hospital complications, indications for repair, and 1-year sac dynamics, which were analyzed with multivariable cox regression, multivariable logistic regression, and χ 2 tests, respectively., Results: We identified 2637 patients, of which 473 (18%) had DM preoperatively. Among patients with DM, 25% were diet controlled, 54% noninsulin medications, and 21% insulin therapy. Within patients who underwent TEVAR for TAA, the proportions of ruptured presentation were higher in the dietary-managed (11.1%) and insulin-managed (14.3%) cohorts relative to noninsulin therapy (6.6%) and those without DM (6.9%). After multivariable regression analysis, we found that DM was associated with similar perioperative mortality (odds ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-1.81) and 5-year mortality compared with patients without DM (hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.91-1.48). Furthermore, all in-hospital complications were comparable between patients with DM and patients without DM. Compared with patients without DM, dietary management of DM was significantly associated with higher adjusted perioperative mortality (OR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.03-4.19) and higher 5-year mortality (hazad ratio, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.03-2.20), although this was not the case for other DM subgroups. All cohorts displayed similar 1-year sac dynamics, with sac regression occurring in 47% of patients without DM vs 46% of patients with DM (P = .27)., Conclusions: Preoperatively, patients with DM who underwent TEVAR had a higher proportion of ruptured presentation when treated with diet or insulin medications than when treated with noninsulin medications. After TEVAR for descending TAA, DM was associated with a similar risk of perioperative and 5-year mortality as nonDM. In contrast, dietary therapy for DM was associated with significantly higher perioperative mortality and 5-year mortality., (Copyright © 2023 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aimed to reveal the association between lower-profile stent graft (LPSG) and embolism during thoracic endovascular aortic repair for non-dissecting distal arch and descending thoracic aortic aneurysm., Methods: This study reviewed data of 35 patients who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair with LPSG (27 males; age: 77 ± 9.2 years) and 312 who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair with conventional-sized stent graft (CSSG) (247 males; age: 77 ± 7.4 years) from 2009 to 2021., Results: The rate of total embolic events was significantly lower in the LPSG group (0/35 [0%]) than the CSSG group (34/312 [11.2%]) (P = 0.035). Shaggy aorta (odds ratio: 5.220; P < 0.001) were identified as positive embolic event predictors. The rate of total embolic events in 68 patients with shaggy aorta (12 in LPSG/56 in CSSG) was significantly lower in the LPSG group (0/12 [0%]) than the CSSG group (19/56 [34%]) (P = 0.015). The rate of total embolic events in 279 patients with the non-shaggy aorta (23 in LPSG/256 in CSSG) reveals no difference between the 2 groups (0 [0%]/16 [6.3%]) (P = 0.377)., Conclusions: LPSG usage could reduce embolism in thoracic endovascular aortic repair, and the difference was more pronounced in patients with the shaggy aorta. LPSG might be beneficial in preventing embolism in thoracic endovascular aortic repair for patients with a shaggy aorta., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.)

Objective: Intraoperative motor and somatosensory evoked potentials have been applied to monitor spinal cord ischemia during repair. However, their predictive values remain controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of motor evoked potentials and somatosensory evoked potentials on spinal cord ischemia during open distal aortic repair., Methods: Our group began routine use of both somatosensory evoked potentials and motor evoked potentials at the end of 2004. This study used a historical cohort design, using risk factor and outcome data from our department's prospective registry. Univariate and multivariable statistics for risk-adjusted effects of motor evoked potentials and somatosensory evoked potentials on neurologic outcome and model discrimination were assessed with receiver operating characteristic curves., Results: Both somatosensory evoked potentials and motor evoked potentials were measured in 822 patients undergoing open distal aortic repair between December 2004 and December 2019. Both motor evoked potentials and somatosensory evoked potentials were intact for the duration of surgery in 348 patients (42%). Isolated motor evoked potential loss was observed in 283 patients (34%), isolated somatosensory evoked potential loss was observed in 18 patients (3%), and both motor evoked potential and somatosensory evoked potential loss were observed in 173 patients (21%). No spinal cord ischemia occurred in the 18 cases with isolated somatosensory evoked potential loss. When both signals were lost, signal loss happened in the order of motor evoked potentials and then somatosensory evoked potentials. Immediate spinal cord ischemia occurred in none of those without signal loss, 4 of 283 (1%) with isolated motor evoked potential loss, and 15 of 173 (9%) with motor evoked potential plus somatosensory evoked potential loss. Delayed spinal cord ischemia occurred in 12 of 348 patients (3%) with intact evoked potentials, 24 of 283 patients (8%) with isolated motor evoked potentials loss, and 27 of 173 patients (15%) with motor evoked potentials + somatosensory evoked potentials loss (P < .001). Motor evoked potentials and somatosensory evoked potentials loss were each independently associated with spinal cord ischemia. For immediate spinal cord ischemia, no return of motor evoked potential signals at the conclusion of the surgery had the highest odds ratio of 15.87, with a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.936, whereas motor evoked potential loss had the highest odds ratio of 3.72 with an area under the curve of 0.638 for delayed spinal cord ischemia., Conclusions: Somatosensory evoked potentials and motor evoked potentials are both important monitoring measures to predict and prevent spinal cord ischemia during and after open distal aortic repairs. Intraoperative motor evoked potential loss is a risk for immediate and delayed spinal cord ischemia after open distal aortic repair, and somatosensory evoked potential loss further adds predictive value to the motor evoked potential., (Copyright © 2021 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Behcet's disease is a multi-system inflammatory disorder. A small subset of patients with Behcet's develop relapsing polychondritis which is classified as a separate disease known as Mouth and Genital ulcers with inflamed cartilage (MAGIC syndrome). It has previously been observed that this condition can also affect the cartilaginous tissue in the tracheobronchial tree., Case Presentation: We present the case of a 44-year-old lady with Behcet's Disease, Mouth and Genital ulcers with inflamed cartilage (MAGIC) syndrome and an aortic Frozen Elephant Trunk (FET) who presented to hospital with recurrent episodes of left lobar collapse of the lung. During bronchoscopy, we found the presence of multiple inflammatory endobronchial webs occluding segments of the left bronchial tree. Repeated examinations showed evidence that these inflammatory webs were progressing in size, density and location. Furthermore, we noticed herniation of her descending aortic FET into her left bronchial tree forming an aorto-bronchial fistula which was complicated by a graft infection. Her descending aortic FET section was surgically replaced with an open procedure and bronchoscopic interventions attempted to remove the occlusions in her bronchial tree. Despite optimisation of medical management and surgical correction, this patient continued to develop progressive occlusion of her left bronchial tree, resulting in a chronically collapsed left lung., Conclusions: A multi-disciplinary team approach is of paramount importance in order to optimally manage patients with Behcet's disease, balancing immunosuppressive regimens that need close monitoring and titration in the context of potential surgical intervention and the risk for intercurrent infection., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objectives: We investigated whether prophylactic preoperative cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD) was effective in preventing spinal cord ischemia (SCI) during thoracic endovascular aortic repair of degenerative descending thoracic aortic aneurysms, excluding dissecting aneurysms., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair involving proximal landing zones 3 and 4 between 2009 and 2020., Results: Eighty-nine patients with preemptive CSFD [68 men; median (range) age, 76.0 (71.0-81.0) years] and 115 patients without CSFD [89 men; median (range) age, 77.0 (74.0-81.5) years] were included in this study. Among them, 59 from each group were matched based on propensity scores to regulate for differences in backgrounds. The incidence rate of SCI was similar: 8/89 (9.0%) in the CSFD group and 6/115 (5.2%) in the non-CSFD group (P = 0.403). Shaggy aorta (odds ratio, 5.13; P = 0.004) and iliac artery access (odds ratio, 5.04; P = 0.005) were identified as positive predictors of SCI. Other clinically important confounders included Adamkiewicz artery coverage (odds ratio, 2.53; P = 0.108) and extensive stent graft coverage (&gt;8 vertebrae) (odds ratio, 1.41; P = 0.541) were not statistically significant. Propensity score matching yielded similar incidence of SCI: 4/59 (6.8%) in the CSFD group and 3/59 (5.1%) in the non-CSFD group (P = 0.697)., Conclusions: Aggressive use of prophylactic CSFD was not supportive in patients without complex risks of SCI., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To analyze differences in baseline characteristics, overall mortality, device-related mortality, and re-intervention rates in patients who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (DTAA) with atherosclerotic/degenerative cause or acute aortic syndrome (AAS), using the Global Registry For Endovascular Aortic Treatment (GREAT)., Materials and Methods: Patients submitted to TEVAR for AAS or DTAA, included in GREAT, were eligible for this analysis. Primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality rate. Secondary outcomes were 30-day aorta-related mortality and re-intervention rate, 1-year and 3-year all-cause mortality, aorta-related mortality and re-intervention rate., Results: Five-hundred and seventy-five patients were analyzed (305 DTAA and 270 AAS). Thirty-day mortality rate was 1.3% and 1.8% for DTAA and AAS, respectively (p=0.741). One-year and 3-year mortality rates were 6.2% versus 9.3 and 17.3% versus 15.9% for DTAA and AAS, respectively (p=0.209 and p=0.655, respectively). Aorta-related mortality rates at 30 days, 1 year and 3 years were 1.3%, 1.3%, and 2.6% for DTAA, 1.8%, 4.2%, and 4.2% for AAS (p=ns). Re-intervention rates at 30 days, 1 year, and 3 years were 1.3%, 4.3%, and 7.5% for DTAA, 3.3%, 8.1%, and 10.7% for AAS (p=ns). Furthermore, a specific analysis with similar outcomes was performed dividing follow-up in 3 periods (1-30 days, 31-365 days, 366-1096 days) and describing mutual differences between 2 groups and temporal trends in each group., Conclusion: Patients who underwent TEVAR for DTAA or AAS experienced different mortality and re-intervention rates among years during mid-term follow-up. Although all-cause related deaths within 30 days were TEVAR-related, aorta-related deaths were more common for AAS patients within 1 year. A greater re-intervention rate was described for AAS patients, although only 1 year after TEVAR.

Objective: Cell salvage (CS) reduces intraoperative blood transfusion. However, it may cause deformity of the red blood cells and loss of coagulation factors, which may lead to unwanted sequelae. Thus, we hypothesized that extensive CS would lead to adverse outcomes after descending/thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (D/TAAA) repair., Methods: Between 1991 and 2017, 2012 patients undergoing D/TAAA repair were retrospectively reviewed. After we excluded patients without reported intraoperative CS amount, patients were enrolled in the study (N = 1474) and divided into 2 groups: low CS (salvaged units <40, N = 983) and high CS (salvaged units ≥40, N = 491). Analyses were performed to verify the extensive CS as the risk factor for adverse outcomes., Results: Preoperative demographics showed that the high-CS group had a significantly greater incidence of male patients (72% vs 58%), heritable aortic disease (24% vs 17%), redo (27% vs 20%), greater glomerular filtration rate (mL/min/1.73 m 2 , 75 vs 66) and more extensive aneurysms (TAAA extent II-IV). The high-CS group had significantly more postoperative complications compared with the low-CS group, including respiratory failure, renal failure, cardiac complications, neurologic deficits, bleeding, and 30-day mortality. Multivariable analysis confirmed high CS was an independent risk factor for renal failure along with long bypass time, older age, and extent of repairs. There was an incremental risk of renal failure and 30-day mortality proportional to salvaged cell unit (P < .001 in both)., Conclusions: Increased salvaged cell units were associated with adverse postoperative outcomes after D/TAAA repairs. Risk of renal failure and mortality increased proportionally to the salvaged cell units., (Copyright © 2020 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Gore conformable TAG thoracic endoprosthesis (CTAG) was engineered to enhance conformability in the thoracic aorta and has demonstrated greater deployment accuracy and wall apposition than the original TAG device. The Food and Drug Administration approved the CTAG in 2011 based on the 1-year results of the pivotal trial for the CTAG device. In the present report, we have documented the outcomes for those patients through 5 years., Methods: The CTAG aneurysm study was a prospective, multicenter trial that assessed the safety and effectiveness of the CTAG device as treatment of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms. Follow-up imaging assessments consisted of radiographs and computed tomography at annual intervals through 5 years. A core imaging laboratory was used to assess the aneurysm size, device integrity, and endoleaks., Results: A total of 66 patients were enrolled (51 pivotal arm patients and 15 continued access patients) from October 2009 through September 2011. The baseline characteristics, procedural characteristics, and outcomes through 2 years were reported previously. Through 5 years, five patients (7.6%) had required device-related reintervention (one type Ia endoleak or contained rupture of the descending thoracic aorta, one type Ib endoleak, two indeterminate endoleaks, and one thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm). Four patients (6.1%) had died of aneurysm-related causes, with one death occurring within 30 days of the index procedure. A total of 24 patients (36.3%) had died during the 5-year study period. Seven patients (10.6%) had experienced stroke or transient ischemic attack through 5 years, with one early stroke (postoperative day 28). Prosthesis or intercomponent migration was observed in six patients (9.1%) through 5 years; however, no patient had developed a type III junctional endoleak. No stent-graft fracture or compression was observed through 5 years. At 5 years, 14 patients (50.0%) showed sac regression, 5 (17.9%) showed sac expansion, and 9 (32.1%) showed sac stability using on a 5-mm threshold for change., Conclusions: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair with the CTAG device was associated with low rates of aneurysm-related mortality and reintervention through 5 years. Proximal endoleak was rare, and most patients showed sac regression or stability at 5 years after the initial thoracic endovascular aortic repair., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysm is associated with an increase in pulse wave velocity (PWV) after surgery. However, the effect of different types of endovascular devices on PWV at different sites of the thoracic aorta remains unclear. Objectives: The purposes of this study were (1) to investigate the changes in PWV after endovascular treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysm; (2) to evaluate whether there is a difference in the changes in PWV at different treatment sites; and (3) to evaluate the effect of treatment length on changes in PWV. Methods: From July 2008 to July 2021, 276 patients underwent endovascular treatment of the true thoracic aortic aneurysm. Of these patients, 183 patients who underwent preoperative and postoperative PWV measurement within 1 year of surgery were included in the study. The treatment length index was calculated by treatment length divided by the height of the patients. Results: Five different types of endovascular devices were used (Najuta, Kawasumi Laboratories, Inc., Tokyo, Japan; TAG, W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc., AZ, USA; Relay, Bolton Medical, Inc., FL, USA; Talent/Valiant, Medtronic, MN, USA; and Zenith, Cook Medical, IN, USA). There was no significant change in PWV in patients receiving Najuta (Before: 2,040 ± 346.8 cm/s vs. After: 2,084 ± 390.5 cm/s, p = 0.14). However, a significant increase was observed in other devices: TAG (Before: 2,090 ± 485.9 cm/s vs. After: 2,300 ± 512.1 cm/s, p = 0.025), Relay (Before: 2,102 ± 465.3 cm/s vs. After: 2,206 ± 444.4 cm/s, p = 0.004), Valiant (Before: 1,696 ± 330.2 cm/s vs. After: 2,186 ± 378.7 cm/s, p < 0.001), and Zenith (Before: 2,084 ± 431.7 cm/s vs. After: 2,321 ± 500.6 cm/s, p < 0.001). There was a significant increase in PWV in patients treated from aortic arch (Before: 2,006 ± 333.7 cm/s vs. After: 2,132 ± 423.7 cm/s, p < 0.001) and patients treated from descending thoracic aorta (Before: 2,116 ± 460.9 cm/s vs. After: 2,292 ± 460.9 cm/s, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that treatment site was not an independent factor associated with changes in PWV. However, Najuta (Coef -219.43, 95% CI -322.684 to -116.176, p < 0.001) and treatment index (Coef 147.57, 95% CI 24.826 to 270.312, p = 0.019) were independent factors associated with changes in PWV. Conclusion: Najuta did not show a significant increase in PWV, while other commercially available devices showed a significant increase. The treatment site did not have a different effect on PWV. However, the treatment length was an independent factor associated with an increase in PWV., Competing Interests: AY serves as a consultant to Japan Lifeline Co. Ltd., which was a distributor for Relay device. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Hori, Fujimori, Kusadokoro, Yamamoto, Kimura and Yamaguchi.)

Objectives: This study aimed to reveal additional factors potentially contributing to the multifactorial ethiopathogenesis of spinal cord ischemia (SCI) after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA)., Methods: The medical records of 293 patients who underwent TEVAR without debranching procedures for descending TAA between 2011 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. We excluded the following cases from the study: 72 patients with aortic dissection; 15 with rupture; 14 with anastomotic pseudoaneurysm; 22 with re-TEVAR; 34 without evaluation of the artery of Adamkiewicz (AKA). Sufficient data were available for 136 patients (79% men; mean age of 76 ± 7.4 years). We conducted univariable and multivariable analyzes using the logistic regression analysis to assess the relationship between pre-/intraoperative factors and postoperative SCI., Results: SCI was observed in nine patients (6.8%). Severe intraluminal atheroma [odds ratio (OR), 6.23; p = 0.014] and iliac artery access (OR 4.65; p = 0.043) were identified as the positive predictors of SCI by univariable analysis. Risk factors of SCI were determined additionally as follows: coverage of the intercostal artery branching AKA (ICA-AKA) (OR 4.89; p = 0.054); coverage of the ICA-AKA combined with iliac access (OR 10.1; p = 0.002); that combined with severe intraluminal atheroma (OR 13.7; p = 0.001)., Conclusion: Severe intraluminal atheroma and iliac artery access were the independent predicting factors of SCI after TEVAR for degenerative descending TAA. In patients with complicated aortoiliofemoral access route, coverage of the ICA-AKA is associated with the risk of SCI., (© 2021. The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery.)

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify predictors of respiratory failure after open repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (DTAA), and to identify any relationship between respiratory failure and long-term survival., Methods: A total of 75 patients undergoing elective open DTAA repair at the Shiga University of Medical Science Hospital were included in the study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the odds ratios for incident postoperative respiratory failure after open DTAA repair. Survival over time was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method., Results: Respiratory failure, defined as ventilation dependence for longer than 48 hours, occurred in 11 patients (14.7%). Independent predictors of respiratory failure after DTAA included prolonged operation time and reduced preoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity × 100 (FEV 1 %). In-hospital mortality was higher (p = 0.020) among patients with respiratory failure (18.2% of those who suffered respiratory failure) than among those without (0%). The survival rates at 8 years were significantly lower (p = 0.010) in the respiratory failure group (at 44.2%) than in the group without respiratory failure (at 89.0%)., Conclusion: Lower FEV 1 % and longer operation time were risk factors of postoperative respiratory failure after open repair of DTAA, which in turn is associated with significantly reduced long-term survival.

Objectives: Although the advent of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has provided an alternative treatment option for descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (DTAA), open repair still plays a crucial role in DTAA repair. The purpose of this study was to re-evaluate the operative and long-term outcomes of open repair with partial cardiopulmonary bypass, compared to the results of TEVAR with a proximal landing zone of 3 or 4., Methods: Between 2007 and 2017, open repair was performed for 44 patients and TEVAR for 282 patients. Acute aortic dissection and open proximal anastomosis under circulatory arrest were excluded. Perioperative and long-term follow-up data were analyzed., Results: In-hospital mortality rate (4.5% vs 3.2%, p = 0.42), and frequencies of spinal cord injury and neurological deficit showed no significant differences between the open repair and TEVAR groups (p = 0.41, 0.25, respectively). The propensity score-matched analysis showed similar cumulative survival (p = 0.23), but significantly higher reintervention rates for the repaired segment in the TEVAR group than in the open repair group (p = 0.0054). Twenty-two (7.8%) TEVAR patients required re-interventions for the repaired segment. Of those, 17 patients underwent additional TEVAR and 5 patients needed open conversion surgery with partial cardiopulmonary bypass. Reintervention rates for the repaired segment were significantly higher in the TEVAR group than in the open repair group (p = 0.012)., Conclusions: Open repair DTAA using partial cardiopulmonary bypass showed operative outcomes comparable to TEVAR and lower reintervention rates, and thus remains an acceptable procedure for selected patients in this era of endovascular repair.

Described herein is a clinical case report regarding a patient presenting with traumatic rupture of the aortic isthmus with the development of a pseudoaneurysm occupying virtually the entire posterior mediastinum and measuring 20?10 cm in size. He was immediately treated as an emergency to undergo prosthetic reconstruction of the portion of the aortic arch and descending thoracic aorta by means of temporary bypass grafting with a synthetic graft in order to protect the visceral organs. The postoperative period was complicated by oesophageal perforation with the formation of an oesophago-paraprosthetic fistula, infection of the vascular graft, accompanied by the development of pleural empyema and mediastinitis. A second operative procedure was performed, consisting of subclavian-iliac bypass grafting on the right with a polytetrafluoroethylene graft measuring 20 mm in diameter, exclusion of the intrathoracic portion of the oesophagus, creation of a gastro- and oesophagostoma, retrieval of the vascular graft followed by suturing of the aorta, pleurectomy, decortication of the lung, and removal of the empyemic sac on the left. There was no evidence of ischaemia of the spinal cord or visceral arteries. One month postoperatively, he underwent a traumatological stage and 4 months thereafter plasty of the oesophagus with an isoperistaltic gastric pedicle, extirpation of the thoracic portion of the oesophagus, to be later on followed by closure of the oesophagostoma. The patient experienced no difficulties either while walking or during other physical activities, with the ankle-brachial index amounting to 0.9. With time, he developed difficult-to-correct pulmonary hypertension. Unfortunately, the patient eventually died of acute cardiopulmonary insufficiency 9 years after right-sided extra-anatomical subclavian-iliac bypass grafting.

Objectives: To assess sex specific differences in 30 day mortality, length of hospital stay, and adverse neurological events following repair of intact degenerative descending thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs), by either thoracic endovascular (TEVAR) or open repair., Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL databases were searched from 2005 to 2019, using ProQuest Dialog. The reviews were registered in PROSPERO (CRD42017020026) and performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The primary outcome was 30 day mortality; secondary outcomes were length of hospital stay and adverse neurological events. Forest plots with random effects meta-analysis to provide odds ratios (OR) were used for primary assessment., Results: For TEVAR, seven studies were identified, including 2758 women and 4674 men; of these studies six were eligible for the primary outcome of 30 day mortality, including 1756 women and 2619 men. There were 94/1756 deaths in women and 82/2619 deaths in men, yielding a pooled 30 day mortality of 5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3-7) in women and 3% (95% CI 2-4) in men (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.29-2.38). Length of hospital stay was longer in women, with a standardised mean difference of 0.3 days (95% CI 0.14-0.47; six studies): meta-regression analysis did not identify the slightly older age of women as significant factor in these differences. Stroke rate was not different between the sexes. For open repair only a single study, with national coverage, was identified: this study reported similar 30 day mortality in men and women., Conclusions: In the management of intact degenerative descending TAAs, 30 day mortality after TEVAR appears to be much higher in women than men with no reasons for this difference identified. However, for open repair there is a lack of contemporary evidence owing to insufficient recent data., (Copyright © 2019 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms are most commonly asymptomatic until there is either an impending aortic catastrophe or one that has already occurred. While open surgery remains the gold-standard method for repair, modern technology has led to the development of less invasive endovascular devices and techniques. We provide an expert review of open and endovascular therapies for 3 highly lethal thoracoabdominal aortic emergencies in order to highlight expectations for both short- and long-term outcomes in an era of evolving technology and improvements in patient evaluation and postoperative care. Open repair of ruptured thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms is associated with a dramatic increase in all postoperative complications, even in specialized aortic surgery centers. Mycotic thoracic aortic aneurysms are highly lethal if surgical treatment is not initiated quickly as they have a propensity toward rapid growth and fatal rupture. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair is well-suited for the treatment of acute complicated type B aortic dissection with outcomes superior to open repair in some centers. Acute aortic events associated with thoracoabdominal aneurysms represent technically challenging situations that require rapid diagnosis and treatment to avoid a fatal outcome. Endovascular techniques have evolved as a viable alternative therapy for acute complicated type B aortic dissection or as a bridge to more definitive repair in the setting of infection or rupture., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Presented herein is experience in treating a total of 56 patients with pathology of the arch, descending and thoracoabdominal aorta from 1997 to 2017. Of these, 6 (11%) patients were diagnosed with a Crawford type I-II thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA), 20 (35%) patients with Crawford type III-IV TAAA, 18 (32%) were diagnosed as having an aortic arch aneurysm (AAA) and descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (DTAA), 12 (22%) had DeBakey type I and IIIb aortic dissection. To protect the visceral organs and spinal cord from ischaemia in 28 (50%) cases we used a temporal bypass from a synthetic vascular graft with zero porosity and measuring from 15 to 20 cm in diameter. RESULTS: Mortality within 30 days amounted to 14.3% (n=8), that after 30 days amounted to 10.7% (n=6): in elective operations - 12% (n=5) and 5.4% (n=3), in emergency operations - 21% (n=3) and 21.4% (n=3), respectively. The total in-hospital mortality amounted to 25% (n=14), equalling 19% (n=8) and 43% (n=6) for elective and emergency operations, respectively. Mortality in using temporal bypass in elective operation amounted to 9.5% (n=2) during 30 days and that without using this method to 14.3% (n=3), after 30 days being 9.5% (n=2) and 4.7% (n=1), respectively. Mortality for emergency cases with a temporal shunt during 30 days was 28.6% (n=2), without - 14.3% (n=1), after 30 days - 28.6% (n=2), without - 14.3% (n=1). In type I-II TAAA mortality within 30 days was 16.6% (n=1), after 30 days - 50% (n=2); type III-IV TAAA - 10% (n=2) and 15% (n=1); DTAA - 22.2% (n=4) and 33.3% (n=2); aortic dissection - 8.3% (n=1) and 16.6% (n=1). Acute renal failure (ARF) occurred in 6 (10.7%) patients and was more often observed in the group without temporal shunting. Events of spinal cord ischaemia with the development of spinal stroke occurred in 6 (10.7%) cases. Five-year survival amounted to 61%. CONCLUSION: Temporal bypass in surgery of the thoracic and thoracoabdominal aorta may be used for prevention of ischaemia of visceral organs, kidneys and spinal cord in operations accompanied by cross-clamping of the descending thoracic aorta.

Objective: There is no consensus on the use or benefit of extracorporeal circulation (EC) during aneurysm repair of the descending thoracic aorta (DTA) or thoracoabdominal aorta (TAA). We evaluated the role of EC during DTA or TAA aneurysm repair using U.S. Medicare data., Methods: Medicare (2004-2007) patients undergoing open repair of nonruptured DTA or TAA aneurysm were identified by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code. Specific exclusions included ascending aortic or arch repairs, concomitant cardiac procedures, and procedures employing deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. The impact of EC (code 3961) on early and late outcomes was analyzed using univariate analysis and multivariable regression. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression models., Results: There were 4230 patients who had repair of intact DTA or TAA aneurysms, 2433 (57%) of which employed EC. Differences in baseline clinical features of EC and non-EC patients showed that patients undergoing aortic reconstruction with EC were older (73 ± 1 years vs 72 ± 1 years; P = .002), were more likely to be female (53% vs 47%; P < .001), and had more hypertension (56% vs 53%; P = .02); they had less chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (28% vs 34%; P < .0001), peripheral vascular disease (5.7% vs 11.3%; P < .001), and chronic kidney disease (7.7% vs 5.5%; P = .003). The 30-day mortality (9.7% for EC vs 12.2%; P = .02) and any major complication (49% for EC vs 58%; P < .001) were significantly reduced with EC use. EC use was associated with a shorter length of stay (13.5 ± 13 days vs 17.2 ± 18 days; P < .01) and lower total hospital charges ($151,000 ± 140,000 vs $180,000 ± 190,000; P < .01) compared with non-EC patients. EC patients were more likely to be discharged home instead of to an extended care facility (67% vs 56%; P < .01). Multivariable regression modeling to adjust for baseline clinical differences showed EC to independently reduce the risk of operative mortality (odds ratio [OR], 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65-0.97; P = .02), any complication (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.59-0.76; P < .01), pulmonary complications (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.59-0.79; P < .01), and acute renal failure (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.44-0.61; P < .01). Long-term survival was higher (log-rank, P < .01) in EC patients at 1 year (81% ± 0.8% vs 73% ± 1%) and 5 years (67% ± 1% vs 52% ± 1%). Risk-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression also showed that EC was independently associated with improved long-term survival (hazard ratio, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.63-0.74; P < .01)., Conclusions: Although important clinical variables such as DTA or TAA aneurysm extent and spinal cord ischemic complications cannot be assessed with the Medicare database, EC use during open DTA and TAA aneurysm repair is associated with improved late survival and a significant reduction in operative mortality, morbidity, and procedural costs. These data indicate that EC should be a more widely applied adjunct in open DTA or TAA aneurysm repair., (Copyright © 2018 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) is a devastating complication of thoracic aortic aneurysm repair in the era of thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR). This review aims to clarify the causes of SCI during TEVAR and to propose ways that it may be prevented., Methods and Results: We performed an extensive literature search of SCI during TEVAR. Based on the existing literature, we examined the anatomy of the anterior spinal cord artery, which supplies blood to the anterior aspect of the spinal cord, and discuss reported effective ways to prevent SCI during TEVAR, including augmentation of arterial blood pressure and drainage of cerebrospinal fluid., Conclusion: After reviewing the mechanism of SCI during TEVAR, we evaluated promising preventative measures.

Objectives: To evaluate surgical outcomes in open repair of thoracoabdominal aortic (TAAA) and descending thoracic aortic aneurysms (DTA) in patients with preoperative renal failure (PRF)., Methods: Our database was examined for all patients undergoing open TAAA/DTA repair. Patients with a creatinine greater than or equal to 1.5 gm/dl or on haemodialysis were defined as having PRF and were compared to those having normal preoperative renal function. Logistic and Cox regression analysis were used to identify independent determinants of in-hospital outcomes and long-term survival., Results: From 1997 to 2015, 711 patients underwent open TAAA/DTA repair. Two hundred and two were categorized as having PRF, of which, 22 where on preoperative haemodialysis. PRF patients had significantly worse comorbidities; smoking (95.5% vs 69.0%; P  < 0.001), chronic pulmonary disease (65.8% vs 29.7%; P  < 0.001), peripheral vascular disease (44.1% vs 19.4%; P  < 0.001) and diabetes (16.3% vs 6.7%; vs P  < 0.001). Operative mortality (OM) was seven-times higher in patients with PRF (14.2 vs 2.2%; P  < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that PRF was a predictor of OM [odds ratio (OR): 4.91; confidence interval (CI): 2.01-11.97; P  < 0.001] and major adverse events (OR: 2.05; CI: 1.21-3.46; P  = 0.007). Kaplan-Meier 5-years survival was significantly lower in PRF patients (45.0% vs 69.8%; P  < 0.001)., Conclusions: PRF predicts higher OM and major adverse events incidence following open TAAA/DTA repair. Long-term survival is negatively impacted. Strategies for improving preoperative and intraoperative renal function may lead to better outcomes., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the impact of preoperative pulmonary function on outcomes after open repair of descending thoracic (DTA) and thoracoabdominal aortic (TAAA) aneurysms., Methods: The outcomes of patients undergoing open repair of DTA or TAAA were analyzed in relation to the results of preoperative pulmonary function tests. Receiver operating characteristic was adopted to assess the effect of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) on the incidence of mortality. Logistic regression analysis and propensity score matching were used., Results: Between 1997 and 2015, 726 patients underwent open DTA or TAAA repair. Pulmonary function tests were available in 711 (97.9%). Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed the cutoff value of FEV1 to be 50%. Propensity score matching led to 149 pairs of patients with FEV1 below and above 50% with only limited residual imbalance. In the matched population operative mortality was 11.4% and 6.0% in patients with FEV1 ≤ 50% and FEV1 ≥ 51%, respectively (P = .10). The incidence of major adverse events was 33.1% in cases with FEV1 ≤ 50% and 19.5% in those with FEV1 ≥ 51% (P = .008). FEV1 ≤ 50% was associated with a 6.99× increase in the risk of major postoperative adverse events at logistic regression analysis., Conclusions: Preoperative FEV1 < 50% is strongly predictive of increased respiratory failure, tracheostomy, and operative mortality in patients undergoing open DTA/TAAA repair. For these very high-risk patients with either extensive TAAAs or anatomy unsuitable for endovascular repair, medical therapy may offer the best long-term survival., (Copyright © 2016 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim was to evaluate computed tomography angiography (CTA) volumetric and diametric analysis after endovascular repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms (DTAAs) and its correlation with and applicability for clinical follow up., Methods: Fifty-four consecutive endovascular repairs for DTAA were retrospectively evaluated from 2008 to 2014. All patients underwent pre-operative CTA and at least one post-operative CTA at 6 months. Fifty-four pre-operative and 137 post-operative CTAs were evaluated (using the Ziosoft 2 software) to analyze the aneurysm and thrombus volume, the maximum aneurysm diameter, and their changes at the last follow up CTA (mean 30.5 months; range 6.5-66.4 months). A statistical analysis was performed to assess the correlation between diameter and volume changes, as well as association with endoleaks. The cut off point to predict endoleaks was determined using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The predictive accuracy of volume change versus diameter change for Type I endoleak was analyzed., Results: The mean pre-operative aneurysm diameter, aneurysm volume, and thrombus volume were 56.7 ± 11.7 mm, 145.8 ± 120.0 mL, and 48.8 ± 54.8 mL, respectively. Within the observational period, a mean decrease of -27.9 ± 30.5% in the aortic volume and -15.9 ± 15.4% in diameter was observed. Correlation between aneurysm diameter and volume changes was good (r = 0.854). Volume and diameter changes were significantly different between groups with and without endoleaks (volume change 16.9 ± 38.8% vs. -35.6 ± 23.1%, p < .001; diameter change 8.0 ± 12.1% vs. -18.8 ± 14.3%, p < .001). A pre-operative thrombus volume percentage of <11.3% and increase in aneurysm volume +11.6% were predictive factors for Type II and Type I endoleak, respectively. The accuracy of a >10% volume increase in predicting a Type I endoleak was higher (accuracy 96.3%, sensitivity 75%, and specificity 98%) than a >5 mm diameter increase (accuracy 92.6%, sensitivity 25%, and specificity 98%)., Conclusions: CT volumetric analysis is a more reliable modality for predicting endoleaks after endovascular repair for DTAA than diameter analysis., (Copyright © 2015 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)