ABSTRACT
<p>A 76-year-old man was admitted to our hospital to receive optimal medical therapy for acute type B aortic dissection with a thrombosed false lumen. Eighteen days after admission, computed tomography (CT) was performed because of back pain and showed new retrograde acute type A aortic dissection. Emergency total arch replacement was performed with the aid of a J-graft open stent graft (JOSG). Postoperatively, the blood pressure in the lower extremities decreased to 70% of systemic blood pressure without symptoms. Enhanced CT showed severe stenosis from the non-stent part of the aorta to the proximal part of the JOSG. On postoperative day 2, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) was performed for stent graft stenosis. The blood pressure of the lower extremities promptly recovered after the procedure, and the patient was extubated without any neurologic deficits on the next day. Postoperative CT demonstrated that the stent graft stenosis had been effectively alleviated. The patient's subsequent course was uneventful and he was discharged on postoperative day 24.</p><p>A JOSG should only be deployed after precise evaluation of the anatomy of the target aorta and careful attention should be paid to the length of the non-stent part of the graft in order to prevent unpredictable graft retraction that could cause stent graft stenosis. TEVAR is considered to be a good option to treat complications related to open stent grafts.</p>
ABSTRACT
A case of aortic valve replacement in a 92-year-old woman is reported. Severe aortic valve stenosis was pointed out when she suffered from congestive heart failure (CHF). After medical treatment for CHF, she complained of leg edema even with only mild exercise. Aortic valve replacement was performed, because her general condition and her left ventricular contraction on UCG were good. Her postoperative course was good except for a transient rapid atrial fibrillation. We think that surgery should not be withheld on the basis of age alone.