Transverse Pericardial Sinus Closure in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Operation.

In operations for acute type A aortic dissection with open technique in elderly patients and patients with long-term treatment of anticoagulation, the transverse pericardial sinus was routinely closed before the graft implantation. With the aid of both a bovine pericardial patch covering the pericardial recess between the superior caval vein and the pulmonary artery and an opening in the left inner side of the superior caval vein, this prophylactic transverse pericardial sinus closure could make autotransfusion of blood loss into the central venous system possible to deal with the diffuse oozing from the suture line.
(Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)