Surgery of thoracoabdominal aneurysms.

Seventeen patients with thoracoabdominal aneurysms, including 5 ruptured aneurysms, were operated upon using a left diaphragm-splitting thoracoabdominal incision and the retroperitoneal route. A temporary shunt was used in 13 patients, femorofemoral perfusion in 1 and cold perfusion cooling of the kidneys in 3 patients. The step-by-step reattachment technique into ready-made limbs or holes in the Dacron graft ensured that visceral and renal ischaemic times remained within acceptable limits. The mean renal and proximal clamping times were 44 and 77 min, respectively. One patient with a ruptured aneurysm (6%) died of diffuse bleeding. The others recovered without paraplegic, renal or other severe complications. During the follow-up period, mean 44 months and range 10-116 months, 3 patients died of lung cancer and 2 of coronary disease giving a late mortality of 29%. The remaining 11 patients are alive and well. The cumulative 2- and 5-year survival is 87% and 62% respectively. The patency rate of the grafts was 100% and that of the 30 individually revascularised arteries 80%. We recommend elective surgery for thoracoabdominal aneurysms using a temporary shunt or cold perfusion cooling of the kidneys as a protective measure against perioperative ischaemia.