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One-hundred-one surgeries for aortic arch aneurysm were divided into 2 groups: 52 aortic dissection cases (AD) and 49 non-dissecting aneurysm (TA). In group AD, 30 cases were operated in acute phase (acute AD) and 22 were in chronic phase (chronic AD). Preoperative shock were observed in 21 cases (15 in acute AD mostly due to cardiac tamponade, 1 in chronic AD and 5 in TA due to rupture). Through median sternotomy, 59 total arch replacement and 25 hemi-arch replacement were carried out under deep hypothermia (16 degrees C:DH) and retrograde (RCP) or selective (SCP) cerebral perfusion or arch-first technique. Through thoracotomy, distal arch replacement were carried out with DH + RCP in 8 cases and with partial bypass in 9. Early mortality were observed in 7 patients (6.9%) and 24 months survival rates (Kaplan-Meier) were 86.1% overall, 76.1% in acute AD, 95.5% in chronic AD, 87.8% in TA. The survival rates in patients with preoperative shock was 61.2%, however, without shock, 92.9% in acute AD, 95.2% in chronic AD, and 91.4% in TA. Other than mortality, 4 re-operations for aortic arch, 4 operations for descending to abdominal aorta and 1 late hemiplegia were observed. Aortic event free ratio at 24 months was 55.4% in acute AD, 94.4% in chronic AD, and 75.7% in TA. For the further improvement of aortic arch surgery, early mortality and residual false lumen in acute aortic dissection and atherosclerotic aneurysm in descending to abdominal aorta are focused.

Congenital bicuspid aortic valve is a relatively rare malformation. It is reported that the presence of this anomaly predisposes the patient to the development of dissecting aortic aneurysms. Between 1981 and October 1997, 7 patients with aortic dissection associated with congenital bicuspid aortic valve underwent surgical treatment at our institution. The patients consisted of six males and one female. The age of the patients ranged from 54 to 74 years (mean 61 years). The classification of dissecting aortic aneurysms was DeBakey type I dissection in 4 patients, type II dissection in 2 patients and type IIIb dissection in 1 patient. These 7 patients constituted 2.0% (7/356) of all cases of surgical operation for dissecting thoracic aneurysm. Aortic valve dysfunction was noted in 5 patients, 4 of whom had previously undergone aortic valve replacement. We performed graft replacement of the ascending aorta in 4 patients, graft replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic arch in 2 patients, and graft replacement of the descending aorta in 1 patient. There were no hospital deaths in any of the 7 patients. Pathological examination of surgical specimens of the aortic wall showed cystic medial necrosis in 2 patients and mucoid degeneration in 4 patients. In addition to complication by valve dysfunction, patients with congenital bicuspid aortic valve are at risk for the development of aortic dissection.

We surgically treated a 35-year-old male with acute 3-channeled aortic dissection in Marfan syndrome. He had acute type A aortic dissection, and underwent Bentall's type operation, simultaneous graft replacement of the ascending aorta and total aortic arch. Pain recurred 5 years and 9 months after the first operation. CT scan showed two adjacent false lumens in the descending aorta. The morphology of the first and second dissections was Stanford type A + B. The second dissection was acute. In the second false lumen, a re-entry formation was observed in the abdominal aorta. Because severe pain was persistent, we immediately replaced the descending aorta using a femoro-femoral partial cardiopulmonary bypass. The patient was doing well and was discharged. When pain recurs in a Marfan patient with an aortic dissection, a 3-channeled aortic dissection should be suspected, and we recommend emergency surgery.

Objective: Our goal was to investigate factors for mortality and cerebral outcome in patients with aneurysm of the aortic arch., Methods: From 1993 to 1996, 148 patients with aortic arch aneurysm underwent operations involving deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with retrograde cerebral perfusion. Age was 63.9 +/- 11.6 years (mean +/- standard deviation) and 52 patients were older than 70 years. Twenty-eight had acute aortic dissection. Twelve had ruptured aneurysms. Fourteen had redo operations. Seventy had aortic dissection. The aneurysms were caused by atherosclerosis in 123 patients and by other causes in 25. Median sternotomy was used in 92 and left thoracotomy in 56. Twenty-eight patients underwent replacement of the ascending aorta to the proximal arch, 62 had total arch replacement, 38 had distal arch replacement, 12 had simultaneous replacement of the distal arch and the descending aorta or thoracoabdominal aorta, and 8 had patch repair., Results: Fifteen (10.1%) early deaths occurred. New stroke occurred in six (4.0%) patients and transient delirium in 37 (25.0%). The duration of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest plus retrograde cerebral perfusion was 49 +/- 17 minutes, and it was more than 60 minutes in 36 patients. Patients awoke 7.5 +/- 8.2 hours after the operation. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that risk factors for mortality were ruptured aneurysm, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arterial cannulation in the ascending aorta, and stroke. Risks for stroke were ruptured aneurysm and replacement of the distal arch. Risks for delirium were age older than 70 years and atherosclerotic aneurysm. Duration of circulatory arrest plus cerebral perfusion did not correlate with length of time before the patient regained consciousness. No difference was found in mortality, stroke, and delirium between patients with and those without more than 60 minutes of circulatory arrest and cerebral perfusion., Conclusion: Prolonged (> 60 minutes) deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with retrograde cerebral perfusion was not a risk factor for mortality and stroke in patients who underwent surgery for aneurysms of the aortic arch. However, the prevalence of transient delirium necessitates further investigations.

Objective: Replacement of the entire descending aorta or of the thoracoabdominal aorta still has a significant risk for postoperative paraplegia. Surgical strategies using a deep hypothermia to protect the spinal cord or viscera are discussed., Methods: From April 1994, 25 patients underwent graft replacement of the entire descending aorta (13 patients) or thoracoabdominal aorta (12 patients) using a deep hypothermia. Five patients had atherosclerotic aneurysms and 20 had aortic dissection. There were 20 males and 5 females, whose age ranged from 26 to 72 years old, 47 years old in average. Surgery consisted with proximal anastomosis using deep hypothermia (18 degrees C) with retrograde cerebral perfusion by elevating central venous pressure to 20 mmHg, reconstruction of the intercostal arteries, and distal open anastomosis, while perfusing the brain and heart. Proximal open anastomosis was used with retrograde cerebral perfusion technique in 18 patients. Averaged number of reconstructed intercostal arteries was 2.1 for each patient., Results: No early mortality was found and one patient died of respiratory failure 6 months after surgery. One patient had a postoperative stroke and one had a delayed onset of paraplegia 2 days after operation. The cause of paraplegia was secondary hypoxemia and hypotension due to pneumonia., Conclusion: Utilization of the deep hypothermia in surgery for aneurysms of the entire descending aorta or of the thoracoabdominal aorta provided an adequate protection of the spinal cord as well as the abdominal viscera, eliminated clamp injury or cerebral embolization of debris or thrombi, and afforded excellent surgical exposures.

Objective: Long-term results of patch repair in patients with a saccular aneurysm of the aortic arch were investigated., Patients: From December 1984, 43 patients with a saccular aneurysm of the arch underwent patch repair. Indications for patch repair were determined as orifice diameter of aneurysm being less than 1/3 of the total circumference of the aorta., Method: Midsternotomy was used in 38 patients, and left thoracotomy in five. Selective cerebral perfusion was used in 28 patients, deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with retrograde cerebral perfusion in eight during the last 3 years, and partial cardiopulmonary bypass in seven., Results: There were five (11.6%) early deaths, and causes were respiratory failure in two patients, low cardiac output in two, and gastrointestinal bleeding in one. Stroke was found in three patients (6.9%). During follow-up, seven patients died, two due to rupture of a residual or pseudoaneurysm, one due to reoperation of pseudoaneurysm, one due to stroke, two due to respiratory failure, and one due to unknown cause. Postoperative survival, including early death, was 69.3% at 5 years and 43.3% at 9 years. Aortic reoperation was done in three patients with a pseudoaneurysm formation and two survived. Freedom from reoperation was 91.7% at 5 years and 38.2% at 9 years. Event free ratio was 79.3 +/- 9.8% at 5 years and 37.6 +/- 18.6% at 9 years., Conclusion: Because of a high incidence of pseudoaneurysm or residual aneurysms after patch repair for a saccular aneurysm of the aortic arch, strict criteria for the patch repair should be applied or graft replacement of the aorta is recommended.