Total Arch Replacement for Aortic Arch Thrombosis Combined with Severe Mitral Regurgitation / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

A 74-year-old male with exertional breathlessness was referred to our hospital by his general physician. Echocardiography revealed severe mitral regurgitation. An aortic and coronary computed tomography scan revealed aortic arch thrombosis and coronary artery stenosis in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. In consideration of the risk of embolization, the patient underwent emergency surgery on the same day. The surgical procedure involved the replacement of the aortic arch with a fenestrated frozen elephant trunk, mitral valvuloplasty, and coronary artery bypass graft for the LAD artery. Blood tests revealed no underlying coagulopathy. The patient did not develop any postoperative complications. He was discharged home on his own on postoperative day 19. One year after the surgery, no recurrence of thrombosis or heart failure was observed. Severe mitral regurgitation complicated with intraaortic thrombosis is rare. This case report indicates that intraaortic thrombosis can occur even in patients without any underlying blood coagulation abnormalities. We report this case with a review of the literature.

Midterm clinical results of Sun's procedure with median resternotomy / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To summarize the clinical data of Sun's procedure(total aortic arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk technique) in the treatment of complex aortic arch disease after previous cardiac surgery.Methods:From January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020, a total of 55 patients underwent resternotomy Sun's procedure in the Aortic Surgery Center of Beijing Anzhen Hospital, including 41 males and 14 females, with a mean age of(45.4±12.7) years old, were retrospectively analyzed. The indications of primary cardiac surgery included type A aortic dissection, aortic root or ascending aortic aneurysm, heart valve surgery, and coronary heart disease. Indications for reoperation included residual aortic dissection larger than 55 mm in diameter, aortic aneurysm dilation, new type A aortic dissection, anastomotic leakage with symptoms, and pseudoaneurysm. All the operations were performed under general anesthesia and median resternotomy, total aortic arch replacement with the stented elephant trunk implantation and were performed by anterograde unilateral or bilateral cerebral perfusion.Results:There was no intraoperative death, and the postoperative mortality was 9.1%(5/55). The causes of death were 2 cases of low cardiac output, 1 case of respiratory failure, 1 case of cerebral complications, and 1 case of gastrointestinal bleeding. Except death, there were 2 cases of postoperative cerebral complications(2/50, 4%), 5 cases of spinal cord injury(transient paraplegia)(5/50, 10%), the median duration of ventilator use was 17 hours(14-42 h). Other postoperative complications included respiratory insufficiency requiring ventilatory support longer than 48 hours(8/50, 16%), renal insufficiency requiring temporary dialysis(2/50, 4%). The follow-up time was(25.9±11.2) months(10-47 months), during which 1 case died due to cerebral complication, 4 cases underwent total thoracoabdominal aorta replacement, and 1 case underwent anastomotic leakage repair.Conclusion:It is safe and effec to perform Sun's procedure(total aortic arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk technique) in the treatment of complex arch disease after previous cardiac surgery.

Surgical treatment of retrograde type A aortic dissection after thoracic endovascular aortic repair for Stanford type B aortic dissection / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective     To analyze the etiologies, surgical treatment and outcomes of retrograde type A aortic dissection (RTAD) after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for Stanford type B aortic dissection. Methods     The clinical data of patients with RTAD after TEVAR for Stanford type B aortic dissection receiving operations in Changhai Hospital from March 2014 to August 2018 were analyzed. All patients were followed-up by clinic interview or telephone. Results     A total of 16 patients were enrolled, including 13 males and 3 females with a mean age of 49.1±12.2 years. The main symptoms of RTAD were chest pain in 12 patients, headache in 1 patient, conscious disturbance in 1 patient, and asymptomatic in 2 patients. All the 16 patients received total arch replacement with the frozen elephant trunk technique. Bentall procedure was used in 2 patients, aortic root plasticity in 10 patients and aortic valve replacement in 1 patient. The primary tear in 10 patients was located in the area which were anchored by bare mental stent, and in the other 6 patients it was located in the anterior part of ascending aorta. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 152.2±29.4 min, aortic cross-clamping time was 93.6±27.8 min and selective cerebral perfusion time was 29.8±8.3 min. There was no death in hospital or within postoperative 30 days. The follow-up period was 32-85 (57.4±18.3) months. No death occurred during the follow-up period. One patient underwent TEVAR again 3 years after this operation and had an uneventful survival. Conclusion     Total arch replacement with the frozen elephant trunk technique is a suitable strategy for the management of RTAD after TEVAR for Stanford type B aortic dissection.

Risk factors of spinal cord injury after total aortic arch replacement and frozen elephant trunk / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of spinal cord injury after FET for ATAAD.Methods:We analyzed perioperative data of 111 patients with ATAAD who underwent FET in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2020 to October 2021.Results:Eleven(9.9%)of 111 patients had postoperative spinal cord injury, which showed varying degrees of paralysis or paraplegia. There was no significant difference in age, sex, medical history, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-clamping time, circulatory arrest time and FET length between spinal cord injury group and non-spinal cord injury group( P>0.05). Univariate analysis showed that aortic true lumen away from the spinal side( P<0.001) and the number of segmental arteries originating from the true lumen<3 in T9-L3( P<0.001), left subclavian artery involvement( P<0.05) and stent coverage at T8 or beyond( P<0.05) was associated with postoperative spinal cord injury. Multivariate Logistic analysis showed that aortic true lumen away from the spinal side( P<0.001) and the number of segmental arteries originating from the true lumen<3( P<0.001) in T9-L3 and left subclavian artery involvement( P<0.05) were independent risk factors for postoperative spinal cord injury. Conclusion:The pathogenesis of spinal cord injury is complicated. This study suggests that the occurrence of spinal cord injury is significantly related to aortic true lumen away from the spinal side and the number of segmental arteries originating from the true lumen<3 in T9-L3 and left subclavian artery involvement. It is of great clinical significance to identify the high risk factors of postoperative spinal cord injury as early as possible.

Association of long frozen elephant trunk and incidence of spinal cord injury in patients with acute type A aortic dissection: A single center retrospective cohort study / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To evaluate whether long frozen elephant trunk (FET) increases the risk of spinal cord injury in patients with acute type A aortic dissection. Methods    From 2018 to 2019, 172 patients with acute type A aortic dissection were treated in Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital. They were divided into two groups according to the length of FET: patients treated with stents of 100 mm in length were enrolled into a short FET group, and those with stents of 150 mm in length into a long FET group. There were 124 patients in the short FET group, including 108 (87.1%) males and 16 (12.9%) females with a mean age of 51.8±7.9 years. There were 48 patients in the long FET group, including 44 (91.7%) males and 4 (8.3%) females with a mean age of 50.6±9.7 years. The clinical data and prognosis of the patients were analyzed. Results    The mean distal stent graft was at the level of T 8.5±0.7 in the long FET group, and at the level of T 6.8±0.6 in the short FET group (P=0.001). Sixteen patients died after operation in the two groups, including 13 (10.5%) in the short FET group and 3 (6.2%) in the long FET group (P=0.561). There were 7 patients of spinal cord injury in the two groups, including 6 (4.8%) in the short FET group and 1 (2.2%) in the long FET group (P=0.675). There was no statistical difference in other complications between the two groups. The follow-up time was 16.7 (1-30) months. During the follow-up, 2 patients died in the long FET group and 5 died in the short FET group. No new spinal cord injury or distal reintervention occurred during the follow-up. Conclusion    Long FET does not increase the incidence of spinal cord injury in patients with acute type A aortic dissection.

A Case of Paraplegia after Total Arch Replacement with Frozen Elephant Trunk for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

The frozen elephant trunk technique (FET) for the treatment of acute aortic dissection is associated with more favorable remodeling in the descending aorta compared to those patients without FET, but it may also be associated with postoperative spinal cord injury (SCI) and actually,some postoperative SCI cases after FET are reported. Several risk factors for SCI are known and one of them is due to the occlusion of intercostal arteries from false lumen. A 71-year-old woman underwent total arch replacement with FET, but after surgery, she noticed decreased movement in both lower extremities and was suspected of postoperative paraplegia. She went through cerebrospinal fluid drainage but didn't get better at all. According to the preoperative contrast computed tomography images, seven out of ten intercostal arteries were originating from the false lumen and six of them were occluded after surgery. When most of intercostal arteries are originating from the false lumen and there is no entry inside the descending and abdominal aorta, the intercostal arteries may be occluded due to thrombosis of the false lumen and it may cause spinal cord ischemia after surgery.

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.

A Case of Staged Hybrid Repair for Subacute Type B Aortic Dissection in a Patient with Shaggy Aorta / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

In aortic surgery involving shaggy aorta, surgical strategy to avoid embolism is crucial for each case. We applied the frozen elephant trunk technique to a patient with shaggy aorta. A 79-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for conservative treatment of acute Type B aortic dissection. Dissecting aneurysms of the aortic arch and descending aorta were shown to have rapidly dilated according to CT three weeks later. Preoperative contrast CT showed an ulcerated shaggy aorta from the aortic arch to the mid portion of the descending aorta. To utilize the benefit of the stent compared with the classical elephant trunk technique, we proposed that the frozen elephant trunk technique would be helpful in prevention of embolism. We therefore planned total arch replacement with the frozen elephant trunk technique and performed thoracic endovascular aortic repair. We employed the frozen elephant trunk technique in the first operation and balloon protection of the superior mesenteric artery and the renal artery in the second operation. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course without thromboembolism. The frozen elephant trunk technique may be helpful for patients with shaggy aorta to avoid thromboembolic events.

A Case of a Super-Elderly Patient Who Underwent Total Arch Replacement Using the Frozen Elephant Trunk Technique for a Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm with a Right-Sided Aortic Arch / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

The case is that of a 90-years-old man. A previous doctor performed abdominal graft replacement for an abdominal aortic aneurysm 5 years earlier and continued outpatient CT follow-up. Follow-up CT showed the right aortic arch and dilation of the thoracic aortic aneurysm, and the patient was referred to our hospital. Contrast-enhanced CT showed an aortic arch aneurysm ; the aneurysm diameter was 62 mm in major axis and 60 mm in minor axis, which was judged to be suitable for surgery. It was a rare right-sided aortic arch with no congenital heart malformation and no situs inversus. Endovascular treatment was considered because he was 90 years old and very elderly, but there were concerns about the risk of embolism, irregular manipulation and central landing. For the surgical method, we selected total arch replacement using a frozen elephant trunk technique. We succeeded in avoiding serious complications by selecting an appropriate treatment method through careful evaluation.

An elephant trunk stent graft strayed into the false lumen leading to a death during the Sun's operation: A case report / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Type A aortic dissection (AD) is a critical and severe disease with high mortality. The Sun's operation is a standard surgical method for this kind of disease at present. For the procedure, an elephant trunk stent is inserted into the true lumen of the descending aorta and the aortic arch is replaced. A patient was admitted to the First Hospital of Lanzhou University due to sudden chest and back pain for 6 days. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed type A AD. Ascending aorta replacement, Sun's operation, and ascending aorta to right femoral artery bypass grafting were performed. After surgery, the patient's condition was worsened. The digital subtraction angiography (DSA) showed the elephant trunk stent was inserted into the false lumen of AD, leading to the occlusion of the large blood vessel at the distal part of the abdominal aorta and below. Although we performed intima puncture and endovascular aortic repair, the patient was still dead.

Evaluation of the efficacy of restricted bare stent in the treatment of acute stanford A aortic dissection / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective To observe the effect of restrictive bare stent release on the distal end of Stanford type A aortic dissection.Methods From November 2016 to February 2018,20 patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection requiring aortic arch replacement and trunk surgery were selected for restrictive bare stent placement.Among them,there were 17 males and 3 females,aged 34-68 years old with an average age of(50.85 ± 8.49) years.The bare stent was released in the descending thoracic aorta,and the frozen elephant trunk was placed in the bare stent.The CTA of the great vessels was reviewed before discharge and the stent position and complications were observed.And compared with 42 patients with acute aortic arch replacement and stent-like nasal surgery in the acute Stanford type A aortic dissection from December 2013 to June 2015.Of the 42 patients,32 were males and 10 were females,aged 20-78 years,with an average of(49.36 ± 8.02) years.Results One patient in the bare stent group had greater resistance when the bare stent was placed,and the patient was disengaged and abandoned.The remaining 19 patients successfully completed the restrictive bare stent placement.One patient died of a large cerebral infarction during hospitalization.All 18 patients who survived and successfully placed the bare stent were followed up regularly.There was no stroke or death during the follow-up period.The computed tomography angiography of the computed tomography showed good shape and position,no displacement and type lⅢ endoleak,and no new fracture of the distal end of the elephant trunk was observed.In the conventional surgery group,2 patients died,1 patient died of large-scale cerebral infarction,and 1 patient died of perioperative myocardial infarction.No paraplegia cases.In 2 cases,a new rupture of the distal eud of the elephant trunk was performed,and the stent was placed again.Conclusion Compared with the conventional surgery group,the use of the restricted bare stent is safe,can effectively reduce the occurrence of stent-graft induced new entry and can significantly expand the diameter of the distal vessel,and the aortic remodeling effect is good.

Efficacy of restrictive bare stent in the treatment of acute Standford type A aortic dissection / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To observe the efficacy of restrictive bare stent released on the distal end of the trunk of Standford type A aortic dissection. Methods     The clinical data of 22 patients with Standford type A aortic dissection requiring aortic arch replacement and trunk surgery and selected for restrictive bare stent placement from November 2016 to February 2018 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, there were 19 males and 3 females, aged 34-68 (49.72±8.05) years. The bare stent was released in the descending thoracic aorta, and the stented elephant trunk was placed in the bare stent. The aortic computerized tomography angiography was reviewed before discharge and the stent position and complications were observed. Results    One patient failed to be implanted with bare stents due to a greater resistance and prolapse during implantation. Bare stents were successfully implanted in the remaining 21 patients. One patient died of large-area cerebral infarction after surgery and one patient suffered paraplegia. Twenty patients who survived and successfully implanted bare stents were followed up at regular intervals for 4-21 (13.00±6.14) months. No stroke or death occurred during the follow-up. The computerized tomography angiography showed good stent morphology and position, and no displacement or type Ⅲ endoleak. No stent graft-induced new entry was found. Conclusion    As an adjunct to stented elephant trunk, the use of restrictive bare stents can reduce the possibility of recurrence of a distal stent fracture, significantly expand the narrowest segment and true lumen caliber near the endoluminal graft. Aortic remodeling works well.

Frozen elephant trunk implantation for pseudoaneurysms of the distal aortic arch and descending aorta / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective To review the outcomes of the frozen elephant trunk implantation in patients with pseudoaneurysms of the distal aortic arch and descending aorta.Methods From March 2009 to December 2017,patients with pseudoaneurysms of the distal aortic arch and descending aorta who underwent the frozen elephant trunk implantation were enrolled.Patient demographic,preoperative,intraoperative,early morbidity and mortality data were collected from medical and electronic patient records.Clinical follow-up data,including late morbidity and mortality,were obtained by telephone interview with the patient.Results A total of 14 patients were included,13 males and 1 females,aged(41.0 ± 14.7) years.Early mortality rate was 7.14％ (1/14).The cause of death was rupture of the distal descending thoracic aorta.The early complications included reexploration for bleeding in 1 patient and pericardial window for delayed pericardial effusion in 1 patient.The mean follow-up was(32.3 ± 22.3) months.There was 1 late death from severe pulmonary infection.Conclusion The frozen elephant trunk implantation is an appropriate therapeutic strategy for patients with pseudoaneurysms of the distal aortic arch and descending aorta.

Association between cardiopulmonary bypass time and 90-day postoperative mortality in patients undergoing arch replacement with the frozen elephant trunk: a retrospective cohort study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#The aortic arch replacement and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are both associated with the early mortality after cardiothoracic surgery. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between CPB time and 90-day post-operative mortality in patients undergoing aortic arch surgery using the frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique with selective ante-grade cerebral perfusion (SACP).@*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed data of 377 adult patients undergoing aortic arch surgery via FET with SACP from July 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018 at Beijing Anzhen Hospital. The baseline characteristics, intra-operative data, and post-operative data were collected. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine independent predictors of 90-day postoperative mortality.@*Results@#The 90-day post-operative mortality was 13.53%. The 78.51% of patients were men. There were 318 (84.35%) type A aortic dissections and 28 (7.43%) aortic aneurysms. Among those, 264 (70.03%) were emergency operations. Median CPB time was 202.0 (176.0, 227.0) min. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that CPB time was independently associated with 90-day post-operative mortality after adjusting confounding factors (hazard ratio: 1.21/10 min increase in CPB time, 95% confidence interval: 1.15–1.27, P < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis based on CPB time tertiles revealed that the top tertile (median 236.0 min) was associated with reduced survival rate compared with middle and bottom tertiles (P < 0.001). Each sub-group analysis based on the complexity of the underlying disease process showed similar associations between CPB time and 90-day post-operative mortality.@*Conclusions@#CPB time remains a significant factor in determining 90-day post-operative mortality in patients undergoing aortic arch surgery using FET with SACP. Surgeons should be aware of the relationship between CPB time and 90-day post-operative mortality during operative procedures and avoid extended CPB time as far as possible.

Reemplazo de arco aórtico y aorta descendente proximal por aneurisma o disección aórtica con prótesis Thoraflex / Aortic arch and proximal descending aorta replacement with the Thoraflex* prosthesis

Resumen: El compromiso simultáneo del arco aórtico y aorta descendente proximal, ya sea por disección o aterosclerosis, constituye uno de los mayores desafíos que puede enfrentar un cirujano cardiovascular. La prótesis híbrida Thoraflex, introducida en los últimos años, ha resultado ser una importante ayuda para el tratamiento quirúrgico de esta compleja y grave patología. Esta consiste en un tubo protésico de Dacron con 4 ramas, para el reemplazo del arco aórtico y sus troncos braquiocefálicos y perfusión corporal distal, y una endoprótesis que queda como "trompa de elefante suspendida" en la aorta descendente proximal. Presentamos en esta oportunidad nuestra experiencia inicial en 4 pacientes, 3 con disección aórtica crónica y una con un aneurisma aterosclerótico, usando la prótesis híbrida Thoraflex.

Abstract: Atherosclerotic aneurysm or dissection of the aortic arch and proximal descending thoracic aorta is one of the major challenges for a cardiovascular surgeon. The new hybrid prosthesis Thoraflex has become an important devise to simplify the surgical treatment of this very complex and technically demanding aortic pathology. This hybrid prosthesis consists of a 4-branched arch graft with a stent-graft at the distal end. The proximal part is a gelatin-coated woven polyester prosthesis. The stented section is a self-expanding endoprosthesis constructed of thin-walled polyester and nitinol ring stents that is left in the proximal descending aorta as a "frozen elephant trunk". We present our initial experience with the Thoraflex prosthesis in four patients, three of them with chronic aortic dissection and one with an atherosclerotic aneurysm.

Repair of type Ⅰa endoleak after thoracic endovascular aortic repair / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective To retrospectively review our experience of correction of type Ⅰa endoleak after thoracic endovascular aortic repair(TEVAR). Methods From August 2009 to May 2016, 29 patients with type Ⅰa endoleak after TEVAR (25 males, 4 females at mean age of 56±10 years (range, 41–86 years) underwent treatment: open surgery in 15 patients (an open surgery group), hybrid aortic arch repair in 6 patients (a hybrid group) and cuff extension in 8 patients(a cuff group). A history of hypertension was noted in 25 patients, diabetes mellitus in 3 patients, coronary artery disease in 3 patients, lung infection in one patient, aortic root aneurysm in one patient and aberrant right subclavian artery in one patient. Results In the open surgery group, no death was observed. Continuous renal replacement therapy and re-intubation was done in one patient and drainage of pericardial effusion in one patient. No death was noted in the hybrid group and persistent type Ⅰa endoleak in one patient. In the cuff group, thrombosis of the left common artery was noted in one patient and bypass of the left axillary artery to the left axillary artery and the left common carotid artery was done. Unfortunately, he died of cerebral infarction and total in-hospital death rate was 3.4% (1/29). Bypass of the left axillary artery to the left axillary artery was done in one patient with left upper limb ischemia. There were 4 (14.2%) deaths during follow-up: 3 deaths in the open surgical group and one death in the cuff group. Endoleak was observed in one patient in the hybrid group and one in the cuff group. Conclusion The corresponding procedure, including open surgery, hybrid aortic arch repair or cuff extension, is scheduled to be done according to the characteristics of type Ⅰa endoleak. Satisfactory outcomes are achieved in patients with typeⅠa endoleak.

Progress in diagnosis and treatment of aortic dissection / 天津医药

Aortic dissection is a serious disease,and it has a high mortality and disability rates.In recent years,with the application of a variety of imaging tests,especially the development of CT imaging technology,the diagnostic rate of aortic dissection is increased significantly. The recognition and prognostic evaluation of aortic dissection also deepened with the improvement of biochemical detection. A variety of operative modes can be selected according to involved scope of aortic dissection.Especially to the therapeutic method of aortic arch department,not only traditional elephant trunk technique but also Sun's operation and triple-branched stent grafting can be selected.Mortality and complication rates have been dropped significantly after using new operative modes. The application of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) turns the invasive therapy to minimally invasive therapy for the treatment of aortic dissection. But TEVAR has strict imaging constraints.However TEVAR's indications are extended by debranching operation,which makes the patients with surgical contraindications to conform to the operation indication. In this article, on the basis of development of diagnosis and treatment of aortic dissection in recent years,the current early diagnosis,laboratory examination,prognostic evaluation,and the present treatment methods are summarized for reference in basic and clinical research.

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.

Surgical treatment of distal aortic arch lesions using stented elephant trunk implantation combined with transposition of left subclavian artery to left common carotid artery / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To evaluate the short- and middle-term outcomes of surgical treatment for distal aortic arch lesions using stented elephant trunk implantation combined with transposition of left subclavian artery to left common carotid artery. Methods    The clinical data of 14 patients with distal aortic arch lesions undergoing stented elephant trunk procedure with left subclavain artery transposition under hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with antegrade selective cerebral perfusion from May 2009 to November 2015 in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed. All of them were males with a mean age of 52±14 years ranging from 20 to 69 years. Hypertension was observed in nine patients, coronary artery disease in five and prior cerebral infarction in one. History of percutaneous coronary intervention was noted in one patient, history of Bentall operation in one, ligation of patent ductus arteriosus in one and endovascular aneurysm repair in one. Results    There was no hospital death. Concomitant procedures included coronary artery bypass grafting in two patients and plasty of the ascending aorta replacement in one. Mean duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay was 21±7 h and 43±19 h, respectively. All patients survived and were discharged. One patient was lost to follow-up and no patient died during the follow-up. Postoperative computed tomography revealed good patency of  the anastomotic site between the left subclavian artery and the left common carotid artery. Conclusion    Stented elephant trunk procedure with left subclavain artery transposition obtains satisfactory surgical results in patients with distal aortic arch lesions.

The Frozen Elephant Trunk Technique: European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Position and Bologna Experience

Complex lesions of the thoracic aorta are traditionally treated in 2 surgical steps with the elephant trunk technique. A relatively new approach is the frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique, which potentially allows combined lesions of the thoracic aorta to be treated in a 1-stage procedure combining endovascular treatment with conventional surgery using a hybrid prosthesis. These are very complex and time-consuming operations, and good results can be obtained only if appropriate strategies for myocardial, cerebral, and visceral protection are adopted. However, the FET technique is associated with a non-negligible incidence of spinal cord injury, due to the extensive coverage of the descending aorta with the excessive sacrifice of intercostal arteries. The indications for the FET technique include chronic thoracic aortic dissection, acute or chronic type B dissection when endovascular treatment is contraindicated, chronic aneurysm of the thoracic aorta, and chronic aneurysm of the distal arch. The FET technique is also indicated in acute type A aortic dissection, especially when the tear is localized in the aortic arch; in cases of distal malperfusion; and in young patients. In light of the great interest in the FET technique, the Vascular Domain of the European Association for cardio-thoracic Surgery published a position paper reporting the current knowledge and the state of the art of the FET technique. Herein, we describe the surgical techniques involved in the FET technique and we report our experience with the FET technique for the treatment of complex aortic disease of the thoracic aorta.