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Endovascular therapies have had a considerable impact on contemporary management of thoracic aortic disease. Still, with the anatomic challenges of the aortic arch, endovascular experience with devices that traverse the arch and deploy in the Zone 0 position remains limited. We report the first Canadian experience with the RelayBranch Thoracic Stent Graft (Terumo Aortic, Sunrise, FL) with Zone 0 deployment for total endovascular aortic arch repair in a patient at very high risk for redo open surgery. We demonstrate safe deployment of the device and successful treatment of a type 1A endoleak. Features of the RelayBranch design that mitigate challenges of arch deployment are also discussed. Résumé: Les traitements endovasculaires ont eu un impact considérable sur la gestion contemporaine des pathologies de l'aorte thoracique. Pourtant, en raison des contraintes anatomiques de la crosse aortique, l'expérience endovasculaire avec des dispositifs qui traversent la crosse et se déploient dans la zone 0 reste limitée. Nous rapportons la première expérience canadienne de l'endoprothèse thoracique RelayBranch avec déploiement (Terumo Aortic, Sunrise, FL) en zone 0 pour une réparation endovasculaire totale de la crosse aortique chez un patient présentant un risque très élevé de reprise de chirurgie ouverte. Nous décrivons le déploiement en toute sécurité du dispositif et le traitement réussi d'une endofuite de type 1A. Enfin, nous examinons les caractéristiques du système RelayBranch qui limitent les difficultés liées au déploiement du dispositif dans la crosse aortique.

Conventional surgical techniques for acute Type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) generally fail to address residual dissection in the descending aorta. The persistence of a false lumen is associated with visceral malperfusion in the acute setting and adverse aortic remodeling in the chronic setting. Hybrid aortic arch repair techniques may improve perioperative and long-term mortality by expanding the true lumen and obliterating the false lumen. However, there is a limit to the extent of aortic coverage due to the concomitant risk of spinal cord ischemia. In Type B dissection, the PETTICOAT (Provisional Extension To Induce Complete Attachment) technique, which entails stent graft coverage of the primary intimal tear followed by bare metal stent placement distally, may improve true lumen caliber and promote false lumen thrombosis without increasing the risk of spinal cord ischemia, as intercostal branches remain perfused through the bare metal stents. The technique of hybrid arch with surgical creation of a Dacron landing zone covering a stent graft in the proximal descending aorta and bare metal stents in the thoraco-abdominal aorta is a promising concept in the treatment of ATAAD.

Objective To review the early results of a less invasive, single-stage hybrid arch procedure involving replacement of the ascending aorta, arch debranching, and zone 0 antegrade stent graft deployment. Methods Between May 2007 and January 2012, 20 patients with both acute and chronic aortic pathology were managed at 2 institutions with a type 2 hybrid arch procedure. Indications included diffuse atherosclerotic aneurysm, false lumen expansion of chronic aortic dissections, penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer, and acute type A dissection. Mean age was 67 ± 16.8 years with a mean European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation II score of 29.5 ± 19.4. Postoperative clinical and imaging follow-up was complete to a mean 18.5 ± 15.3 months. Results Successful zone 0 stent graft deployment was achieved in all cases. There was 1 in-hospital mortality (5%). A second death occurred at 40 days postoperation. Other complications included a permanent neurologic deficit in 1 patient (5%), transient paraplegia in 4 patients (20%), and 3 patients had respiratory complications (15%). There were no cases of renal failure requiring dialysis. Stent-related complications were identified in 4 patients (20%), including 3 type I endoleaks, none of which were at zone 0. There was 1 type II endoleak and a case of stent infolding. Two patients required a second successful endografting procedure. Conclusions This single-stage hybrid arch procedure offers an alternative approach to complex diffuse aortic pathology involving the arch. Replacement of the ascending aorta provides a safe location for zone 0 stent graft deployment, eliminating complications of proximal deployment in a native diseased aorta.

We describe a case of complete endovascular repair of the ascending aorta using a transfemoral approach. A 59-year-old man with a history of two previous sternotomies experienced an ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm arising from the graft-to-graft anastomosis of a previous DeBakey type I aortic dissection repair. A custom-made Zenith TX2 (William Cook Europe ApS, Bjaeverskov, Denmark) thoracic aortic aneurysm endovascular graft, designed specifically for the ascending aorta, was introduced through the left femoral artery and deployed under a rapid ventricular pacing protocol to achieve precise placement between the sinotubular junction and the aortic arch.

Background Endovascular options to repair the arch and ascending aorta are rapidly evolving. Little is known about the durability of endovascular devices deployed at this location. This report describes a single-centre experience with the novel application of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) by examining clinical and radiological outcomes. Methods A retrospective review was performed for a cohort of patients undergoing TEVAR of the arch or ascending aorta, or both, at a single centre from November 2008-July 2012. Results Sixteen patients were included in the study, with mean imaging follow-up of 38 months (range, 15-72 months). Two complications at the proximal landing zone in the ascending aorta were identified: 1 endoleak and 1 infolding identified at 3 and 24 months postoperatively, respectively. Clinically, both these complications were attributed to the bird-beak configuration at the proximal landing zone site. At up to 72 months of follow-up, there were no cases of retrograde dissection of the native sinus of Valsalva. There were no cases of stent graft migration, graft fracture, open surgical reintervention for aortic pathologic conditions, or late mortality. Conclusions Early outcomes suggest that the current generation of thoracic aortic endografts can be placed in the complex anatomy of the ascending aorta and aortic arch without a high incidence of early graft fracture or migration. Future endeavors will need to focus on techniques to achieve optimal apposition with the curves of the ascending aorta. These findings are important as indications for endovascular aortic therapies expand to address proximal aortic pathologic conditions.

PINAL CORD ISCHEMIA is a potentially devastating complication following any repair of the descending thoracic aorta. The literature suggests that the risk with descending aortic surgery may be lower with endovascular compared with open intervention. 1,2 Current estimates for the incidence of spinal cord ischemia with endovascular repair is in the range of 3% to 7%. 1-3 Thoracic aortic aneurysmal disease involving the aortic arch conventionally has required open repair involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Despite technical advances in surgical technique and perioperative care, the risk of mortality or significant morbidity remains high. 4,5 Hybrid arch repair is an evolving surgical approach for diffuse aortomegaly. It involves 2 steps, which can be performed together during a single surgery or staged over time. The first step involves conventional open aortic branch revascularization, while thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) completes the process. Various approaches to the hybrid arch repair exist, with a wide range of reported incidence of neurologic complications. 6-8 Several risk factors have been identified for spinal cord ischemia in patients undergoing TEVAR, including previous abdominal aortic repair, hypotension, coverage of the left subclavian artery, and extensive endograft coverage. 9-16 The authors present a case of left subclavian graft thrombosis as a possible new etiology for delayed paraplegia in a patient following hybrid arch repair.