Search

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is the treatment of choice for thoracic aorta diseases including penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU). The objective of this study was to analyze the results of TEVAR for the treatment of PAU in our population.From January 1999 to January 2019, 830 patients with type B aortic syndromes were treated with TEVAR in our institution. Of these we selected 73 patients treated for a PAU. Clinical and radiologic follow-up was performed in all patients.Mean age of our population was 72 ± 8 years. Fifteen patients (20.5%) were treated in an emergency setting. The proximal landing zone was in arch zone 2 in 22 patients (30.1%). In-hospital mortality was 6.8% and was associated with acute presentation (The use of TEVAR for treatment of aortic PAU is a safe procedure in an elective setting despite necessity of arch stent grafting. An early intervention performed at smaller aortic diameters of55 mm might be beneficial in selected patients to improve late survival.

Aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) is a relatively rare congenital anomaly of the aortic arch. A 74-year-old woman was referred to our Cardiac Surgery Department for chest pain. Angio-CT scan showed an acute aortic dissection and revealed an ARSA routed behind the trachea. We performed supra-coronary ascending aorta and total arch replacement with Frozen Elephant Trunk (FET) technique. The ARSA was then termino-terminal anastomosed to one branch of the Thoraflex arch graft. Postoperative CT-scan indicated a successful reconstruction of the aortic arch, proving the open stent-grafting technique as a useful and effective approach for aortic disease with ARSA.

Background The aims of this study were to analyse the incidence of visceral malperfusion syndrome (MPS) following Frozen Elephant trunk operations in patients affected by chronic aortic dissection and the associated risk factors. Methods Between January 2007 and February 2019, 165 patients underwent surgery with FET for chronic aortic dissection. Post-operative computer tomography angiogram parameters (diameters, early post-operative false lumen enhancement and involving of aortic branches by the dissection) were collected and analysed to evaluate their impact on the occurrence of visceral malperfusion. Results Visceral (renal and mesenteric) MPS (with both clinical and radiological signs of MPS) was detected in 10 cases (6.1%). Post-operative visceral malperfusion was strongly related with in hospital mortality. The involvement of the visceral branches in the dissection was not a risk factor for visceral malperfusion occurrence, while a larger post-operative total aortic diameter at level of the coeliac trunk increased the risk of visceral MPS (OR 1.05; CI 1.002–1.102, p-value = 0.04). Furthermore, visceral MPS was associated to a complete thrombosis of the false lumen at level of the distal descending thoracic aorta. Conclusions The development of post-operative MPS in frozen elephant trunk is strongly related to in-hospital mortality. The involvement of aortic branches by the dissection does not represent a real predictive risk factor for MPS, while early larger aortic diameters and false lumen thrombosis represent independent risk factors for MPS and in-hospital mortality.

The study objective was to analyze the outcomes of reoperative thoracic aortic surgery at our institution from January 1986 to December 2018 to identify specific risk factors for early and late mortality.Two groups of patients were identified: aortic root or ascending aorta repair (group 1: proximal repair, 218 patients, 48%) and arch surgery or descending thoracic aorta repair (group 2: distal repair, 235 patients, 52%). Primary end points were 30-day mortality, 10-year survival, and freedom from aortic reoperations.The 30-day mortality (6.4% vs 8.1%) and in-hospital mortality (8.3% vs 11.9%) were similar (P .05) in the 2 groups. Multivariable analysis identified female gender (odds ratio, 8.60, P .01), endocarditis (odds ratio, 2.96, P = .04), and cardiopulmonary bypass time (odds ratio, 1.02, P .01) as risk factors for 30-day mortality. Mean follow-up time was 163 months (confidence interval, 147-179). Long-term survival at 1, 5, and 10 years was 91.2%, 79.4%, and 66.3% in the proximal repair group and 80.7%, 68.8%, the and 55.3% in distal repair group, respectively (P = .03). According to the indication, 1-, 5-, and 10-year survivals were 92.1%, 82.3%, and 68.8% in degenerative aneurysms; 82.7%, 72.4%, and 56.3% in residual dissections; 80.9%, 65.4%, and 50.3% in endocarditis and pseudoaneurysms; 69.2%, 52.7%, and 42.2% in acute type A aortic dissections, respectively (P .01). Competing risk analysis showed a significantly different cumulative incidence of reoperation at 1, 5, and 10 years between the 2 groups: 0.50%, 0.50%, and 0.90%, respectively, for the proximal repair group, and 0.40%, 4.30%, and 7.70%, respectively, the for distal repair group (P .01).In our experience, short- and long-term results of reoperative thoracic aortic surgery were satisfactory in chronic aneurysms but poor in aortic dissections, pseudoaneurysms, and active endocarditis. Reoperative aortic surgery carries a high risk, regardless of the anatomic extension of the procedure.

The decision-making process is crucial for the surgery of acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD). Often surgeons have to face different challenges, taking prompt decisions in emergency setting, during the pre- and intraoperative phase. Choosing if operate or not a patients with AAAD as well as the management of the dissected aortic arch can be challenging. Different factors need to be evaluated as: the patients age, the presence of organ malperfusion, the intimal tear location, and last but not least the surgeon personal experience in aortic surgery. During the last decade, different milestone steps have been achieved in aortic surgery as the antegrade perfusion of the aorta through different cannulation sites, open distal repair, antegrade selective cerebral perfusion, and systematic resection of the proximal intimal tear, allowing complex repair for dedicated team as well as simpler repair for not dedicated surgeons. We reviewed different scenarios and techniques used for the aortic arch replacement in patients with AAAD, taking into consideration that the aim of surgery is to save patients life.

Background: Nowadays, less invasive endovascular procedures have been employed in high risk patients for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) in order to try to reduce the risk of major complications. The aim of the study was to analyze the results of our hybrid 2-stage approach for TAAA repair. Methods: Between July 2011 and September 2016, 17 consecutive high-risk patients received a hybrid 2-stage procedure for TAAA repair. Mean age of the population was 58.9 ± 9.0 years and 16 (94.1%) were male. Of them, 7 (41.2%) suffered of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 15 (88.2%) had a previous history of aortic operation. Three patients had Marfan syndrome (17.6%). The preoperative anatomy of the aneurysms was classified according to “Crawford classification” in type II (n = 6, 35.3%), type III (n = 10, 58.8%) and type IV (n = 1, 5.9%). All patients were followed up with an angio CT-scan at 1, 3 months and yearly thereafter. Results: In-hospital mortality was 11.8% (2 patient). None of the patients experienced paraplegia and paraparesis. Major post-operative complications were pancreatitis 17.6% (3/17). At follow-up (mean time of 23.3 ± 21.7 months) 2 patient died (12.5%) waiting for the second stage endovascular completion. Median interval time between the 2 steps was 35 days. Overall survival at 1- and 3-years was 75.6 ± 1.0. One type Ib and 1 type III endoleak were noted and successfully treated with an additional stent graft. Conclusions: The results of hybrid 2-stage TAAA repair on high-risk patients are satisfactory and therefore encouraging. The extremely low incidence of spinal cord injury could make this technique the technique of choice for this type of pathology in selected high-risk patients. At follow-up, residual endoleaks occur although surgical reoperations are not often needed. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

nd

Comment on Da Li, Liqing Peng, Yi Wang, Jichun Zhao, Ding Yuan, Tinghui Zheng Predictor of false lumen thrombosis after thoracic endovascular aortic repair for type B dissection The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Available online 25 August 2019

Background Aortic dissection is a major cardiovascular disease associated with a high mortality rate. In complicated type B dissection, with favorable anatomy, endovascular surgical repair (thoracic endovascular aortic repair [TEVAR]) is considered the treatment of choice. Intimomedial injury induced by stent graft, or stent graft-induced new entry (SINE), has a clinically significant incidence. SINE can occur at the proximal or distal level of the stent graft. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the incidence, mechanism, and predictive factors of late distal SINE. Methods We reviewed 139 discharged patients after TEVAR for type B or residual aortic dissection after type A surgery, from January 2007 to March 2013. Three intervals of computed tomography imaging were collected, including before and after primary TEVAR and with the first detection of distal SINE. Four accessible measurement methods for precise size selection of the stent graft before and after the procedure were analyzed at the distal end level of the primary stent graft. Results Among the 139 patients, only 108 had complete preoperative and follow-up imaging and were enrolled in the study. The mean age of the patients was 59.7 ± 11.7 years, and 92 patients (85.2%) were men. Seventy had type B aortic dissection, and 38 had residual aortic dissection after type A surgery. The mean follow-up period was 36.1 ± 25.7 months. During follow-up, distal SINE occurred in 30 patients (27.8%), and 18 of them (60%) underwent secondary TEVAR whereas the remaining 12 patients were medically treated. No statistically significant differences in demographic and clinical conditions were seen between patients with or patients without SINE. The incidence of SINE was lower for acute than for chronic dissection (16% versus 50%). At the multivariate analysis, the independent factors associated with SINE development were the oversizing ratio of the area (odds ratio 1.858; 95% confidence interval: 1.109 to 3.064; p = 0.018) and of the mean diameter (odds ratio 1.858; 95% confidence interval: 1.109 to 3.064; p = 0.018). Conclusions Type B aortic dissection can be treated effectively with TEVAR. The incidence of distal SINE is not negligible but is not associated with poor outcomes. The main determinant of SINE seems to be an excessive oversizing, which is particularly evident in the distal end. More accurate sizing can be obtained by evaluating the area of the true lumen.

Turnersyndrome(TS)isawell-definedautosomaldominantgenetic syndrome caused by a partial or complete monosomy of the chromosome X(45,X0). Cardiovascular complications are mostly responsible forreducedlifeexpectancy.Themaincardiacabnormalitiesarebicuspid aortic valve and aortic coarctation in approximately 16% and 11% of the patients, respectively [1]. A dilatation of major vessels is also observed, above all of the aorta and of the carotid and the brachial arteries. Aortic disease in TS is characterizedbya “connective tissue disorder”similarto that seen in Marfansyndrome. Ascending aorta dilatation is observed in 33% of the cases, and the incidence of aortic dissection is much higher than for women in general, occurring in the third and fourth decades of life [2]. We present a case of TS with bicuspid aortic valve plus hypoplastic aortic arch and chronic aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta. Informed consent was obtained by the patient. The patient, a 38-year-old woman (Body Surface Area: 1.34 m 2 ; Aortic Size Index: 2.6 cm/m 2 ) with 45,X0 karyotype diagnosed at birth, presented a bicuspid aortic valve, an aortic coarctation, a left superior vena cava and patent ductus arteriosus. At 11 months, she underwent surgical repair of isthmic coarctation and patent ductus closure. After that, she was followed by regular examinations until the age of six, when she was operated on for an excision of a supravalvular mitral stenosis. During the following years, the patient had a normal quality of life up to 38 years when an echocardiogram showed mild aortic regurgitation

Background: Little epidemiological information on acute aortic dissection (AAD) is available in the literature. The objective of the present study was to determine the incidence and mortality rates of AAD in the general population and to analyze its clinical features. Methods: Data from the Emilia-Romagna regional database of hospital admissions was analyzed. Urgent admissions with the diagnosis of dissection of the aorta, dissection of the thoracic aorta and dissection of the thoracoabdominal aorta were selected. Results: Between January 2000 and December 2008, 1499 Emilia-Romagna residents were hospitalized with a diagnosis of AAD. The patients were divided into three groups: Group A, 617 patients (41.2%) surgically treated for type A AAD; Group B, 93 complicated patients (6.2%) with type B AAD treated by endovascular stent-grafting and Group C, 789 patients (52.6%) suffering from any type of AAD medically treated. The overall annual incidence rate was 4.7%/100,000 people and was higher for men than for women (6.7% vs 2.9%).Two hundred ninety-six patients (19.8%) were 80 years of age or older.The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 27.7%, with mortality rates of 21.1%, 26.9% and 33% in Groups A, B and C, respectively. Conclusion: The incidence of AAD is not negligible and a notable rate of patients is ultra-octogenarian. A large number of patients with AAD had no surgery or interventional treatment. The results of surgical treatment for patients with type A dissection are acceptable but the results obtained in patients with complicated type B dissection who were treated with an endoprosthesis are dismal. © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

OBJECTIVE: Extensive thoracic aortic aneurysms represent a challenging pathology in cardiac surgery. The frozen elephant trunk procedure, combining conventional surgery with endovascular techniques, allows single-stage treatment for such pathology. Here we present our surgical technique and results with the single-stage frozen elephant trunk procedure. METHODS: Between January 2007 and December 2009, 67 patients were treated with the frozen elephant trunk procedure in our institution. Mean age was 61 ± 11 years. Indications for surgery included chronic aneurysm (n = 22, 32.8%), acute type A dissection (n = 4, 6.0%), acute type B dissection (n = 2, 3.0%), chronic type A dissection (n = 30, 44.8%), and chronic type B dissection (n = 9, 13.4%). Thirty-six patients (53.7%) had undergone 38 previous cardiac or aortic operations. Thirty-two associated aortic and cardiac operations were performed. Brain protection was achieved by means of antegrade selective cerebral perfusion and moderate hypothermia (26°C) in all cases. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was 13.4%. Postoperatively, permanent neurologic dysfunction (coma) occurred in 5 cases (7.5%), paraplegia in 2 (3.2%), and paraparesis in 3 (4.9%). Follow-up was 100% complete, with mean duration of 11.1 ± 8.4 months. The 1- and 2-year survivals were 76.7 ± 5.6% and 70.3 ± 8.0%, respectively. Ten patients (14.9%) required endovascular completion 2.3 ± 3.1 months after the first procedure, with 100% technical and procedural success. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to the conventional elephant trunk technique, the frozen elephant trunk technique offers a potentially curative single-stage procedure for patients with extensive thoracic aortic disease, with encouraging short-term and midterm results.

Debate remains regarding optimal cerebral circulatory management during relatively noncomplex, short arch reconstructive times. Both retrograde cerebral perfusion with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (RCP/DHCA) and antegrade cerebral perfusion with moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest (ACP/MHCA) have emerged as established techniques. The aim of the study was to evaluate perioperative outcomes between antegrade and retrograde cerebral perfusion techniques for elective arch reconstruction times less than 45 minutes.Between 1997 and September 2008, 776 cases from two institutions were reviewed to compare RCP/DHCA and ACP/MHCA perfusion techniques. At the University of Pennsylvania, 682 were treated utilizing RCP/DHCA cerebral protection. At the University of Bologna, 94 were treated with ACP/MHCA and bilateral cerebral perfusion.Mean cerebral ischemic time and visceral ischemic time differed between RCP/DHCA and ACP/MHCA (p0.001). Multivariate analysis showed age more than 65 years, atherosclerotic aneurysm, and cross-clamp time as predictors of the composite endpoint of mortality, neurologic event, and acute myocardial infarction. There was no significant difference in permanent neurologic deficit, temporary neurologic dysfunction, or renal failure, between RCP/DHCA and ACP/MHCA. Mortality was comparable across both techniques.Both RCP/DHCA and ACP/MHCA have emerged as effective techniques for selected aortic arch operations with low morbidity and mortality. Univariate analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in primary or secondary outcomes between techniques for aortic reconstruction times less than 45 minutes. Data from this study demonstrate that selective use of either RCP/DHCA or ACP/MHCA provides excellent cerebral and visceral outcomes for elective open aortic surgery with short arch reconstructive times.

Objective Traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta is a highly fatal condition in which patient outcome is strongly conditioned by other associated injuries. Delayed aortic treatment has been proposed to improve results. Methods The charts of 69 patients with traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta observed between 1980 and 2003 were reviewed. Patients were grouped according the timing of repair: group I, immediate repair (21 patients); and group II, delayed repair (48 patients). In group II, 45 patients were treated surgically or by endovascular procedure. Results In-hospital mortalities were 4 of 21 patients (19%) in group I and 2 of 48 patients (4.2%) in group II. There were 3 cases of paraplegia in group I and none in group II. Conclusion Improvement of patient outcome with traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta can be achieved by delaying surgical repair until after management of major associated injuries if there are no signs of impending rupture. Endovascular treatment is feasible and safe and may represent a valid alternative to open surgery in selected cases.

A 72-year-old man was referred to our department with a diagnosis of ascending aorta aneurysm discovered in a control chest radiograph. The patient had been operated on for thoracic aorta replacement in 1990, for abdominal aorta replacement in 1994, and for aortic valve replacement with biological prosthesis in 1998. After the operation and for the following 3 years the patient was well without any relevant clinical problem. Considering the roentgenographic image (Fig 1), which showed the massive enlargement of the mediastinum with pulmonary compression, a computed tomographic scan of the chest was performed. That imaging study demonstrated a large aneurysm of 10 cm in diameter (true lumen of 7 cm) with a large thrombus surrounding the distal ascending aorta and an intimal flap originating above the right coronary ostium (Fig 2A). Moreover the anterior wall of the ascending aorta was completely adherent to the sternum (Fig 2B). The aortic arch was also dissected and had a diameter of 55 mm. Spiral tomographic scan reconstruction showed the enormous dimensions of the ascending aorta, which was completely attached to the sternum (Fig 3). Surgery consisted of aortic valve and ascending aorta replacement according to the modified Bentall procedure and aortic arch replacement with separate reimplantation of the innominate artery, left common carotid, and left subclavian arteries. The ascending aorta presented as a dissection with a completely thrombosed false lumen. Histologic findings confirmed the dissected wall: the false lumen wall was formed by adventitia and media, which had signs of elastic fiber fragmentation. Femorofemoral cardiopulmonary bypass was carried out and antegrade selective cerebral perfusion with moderate hypothermia (nasopharyngeal temperature of 26°C) was performed for brain protection. The patient recovered successfully without any complications from his surgery. This case illustrates the potential dimensions the ascending aorta and the arch may reach by a chronic dissection and how diagnostic imaging procedures are so important for taking a correct and safe surgical approach. Address reprint requests to Dr Martin-Suarez, Unita Ospedaliera di Cardiochirurgia, Universita degli Studi di Bologna, Policlinico S. Orsola, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy; e-mail: docsofi@yahoo.com. Fig 1.