Examination of Treatment for Complications of the Downstream Aorta after a Frozen Elephant Trunk Procedure during the Follow-up Period / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

Objective: We examined complications of the downstream aorta after the frozen elephant trunk (FET) procedure. Methods: Complications were diagnosed in eight patients: true aneurysm alone in five patients; type A aortic dissection in two patients; and both true aneurysm and type B aortic dissection in one patient. Results: Elective surgery was performed in seven patients. Five patients received a Matsui-Kitamura stent graft (MKS) and three patients received a J Graft Open Stent Graft (JGOSG). The FET procedure was successfully applied in all cases. Over the long term, dilatation of the descending thoracic aorta (dTA) alone was identified in two patients and dilatation of the dTA and migration was identified in three patients using the MKS. Complications of graft kinking and migration were seen in one patient and distal stent graft-induced new entry in two patients using the JGOSG. Thoracic aortic stent graft repair was successfully performed for complications in seven patients. Conclusion: For the improvement of clinical results, FET devices need to offer flexibility and appropriate radial force.

Three Cases of Extensive Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease (AIOD) with Aorto-Uni-Iliac (AUI) Stent-Grafting with Femoro-Femoral Crossover Bypass / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

Aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD) can be difficult to treat. We performed aorto-uni-iliac (AUI) stent-grafting with external-iliac artery crossover bypass in 3 cases of extensive AIOD (mean age 69 years). Lesions were TASC II type D in 2 and D+A in 1. Mean ankle-brachial index of diseased side was 0.52. Bare stent placement for iliac stenosis was also done in 2 cases. All cases were a technical success with no complications. Mean operation time was 123 min and mean hospital stay was 11 days. We have been keeping good patency. We consider it an effective treatment option for AIOD.

Hybrid Technique for Extensive Aortic Arch Aneurysm after Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

We report a case of operations using a hybrid technique for repeated extensive aortic aneurysm. A 71-year-old man had extensives aneurysms of the aortic arch and descending aorta. In the first operation, he had undergone thoracoabdominal aortic replacement with island repair for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (Crawford type 3) at age 64. Six years later, computed tomography showed an aortic aneurysm around the region of the island repair and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer (PAU). Therefore, he underwent abdominal debranching and thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) at 70 years old. At the same time, he had an extensive aortic arch aneurysm. Considering the complicated surgical history and the affected region, we judged that conventional graft replacement was difficult. So, in the third operation, we performed TEVAR for the descending aorta at 71 years old. One month later, total arch replacement (TAR) with a frozen elephant trunk (FET) was performed (4th operation). The patient was discharged home 22 days after the 4th operation. This strategy of operations using hybrid techniques for extensive aortic aneurysm may be useful in high risk cases of surgical procedures and postoperative complications.