[First experience with monitoring somatosensory and motor evoked potential during operations on the thoracic and thoracoabdominal portions of the aorta].

Specialists in Russia have recently gained vast experience in operations on the thoracic and thoracoabdominal portion of the aorta; however, studying evoked potentials for preventing lesions of the spinal marrow have not been studied in any clinic. The authors report herein their first experience in Russia in studying the function of the marrow during operations on the aorta followed by detailed description of the technique of registering evoked potentials. From June 2010 to January 2011, specialists of the Arterial Pathology Department of the A. N. Bakulev Scientific Centre for Cardiovascular Surgery under the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences carried out a neurophysiological study in a total of 19 patients during operations for thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. The somatosensory and motor evoked potentials were studied using an 8-channel neuroenhancer Keypoint (Dantec, Denmark). The hospital mortality rate in the examined group amounted to 5.2% (1/19). Spinal stroke developed in 2 patients, i.e. in 10.5% (2/19). The alterations in the somatosensory and motor evoked potentials were subdivided into groups according to the morphological classification of Crawford-Cunningham. A further two patients were found to have during operation type III changes in the evoked potentials, with both having developed postoperative spinal stroke. Thus, the method of intraoperative monitoring of evoked potentials has high sensitivity and specificity and can be included into the protocol of operations on the thoracic and abdominothoracic portion of the aorta. During monitoring of evoked potentials it is necessary to maintain a permanent level of anaesthesia and myorelaxation with obligatory participation of the neurophysiologist in the operation.

[Remote results of open interventions in treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms].

Analysed herein are the results of treating a total of 471 patients operated on at the Department of Surgical Treatment for Arterial Pathology of the Research Centre of Cardiovascular Surgery named after A. N. Bakulev under the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences for an aneurysm of the infrarenal portion of the abdominal aorta. Complicated forms of AAA were observed in 71 (15.1%) patients. Of these, 13 patients were admitted presenting with a clinical picture of aortic rupture, 56 patients with aortic wall tear (according to ultrasound and/or MSCH findings), and two patients had break of the inferior vena cava. The most frequently encountered accompanying diseases were as follows: CAD noted in 367 (78.2%) patients. Valvular heart defects were revealed in 68 (14.4%) patients. Atherosclerotic alterations of the ascending aorta were diagnosed in 97 (20.6%) patients, and an ascending aortic aneurysm in 14 (2.8%) patients. Operations on the heart were performed in 45 (19.1%) patients. Mitral valve plasty was carried out in 7 patients, and 11 patients had a history of prior interventions on the aortic root and ascending aorta (Bentall-De Bono operation in 3 patients, Carbol operation in 3 patients). 32 patients underwent reconstructive operations on coronary arteries. Transmyocardial laser revascularization of the myocardium was carried out in 4 patients. Endovascular interventions were performed in 32 (6.8%) patients (stenting or transluminal balloon angioplasty of coronary arteries). All patients underwent AAA resection with prosthetic repair. The mentioned operations were combined with the following simultaneous interventions: aortocoronary bypass grafting performed in 31 cases, carotid endarterectomy in 27 cases, and plasty of renal arteries was carried out in 48 patients. Complications in the immediate postoperative period were observed in 79 (16.8%) patients. Hospital mortality amounted to 11 (2.3%) patients. The cumulative survival rate after 1, 5 and 10 years after surgery amounted to 93%, 81% and 44%, respectively, in a complicated course amounting to 91%, 79% and 16%, respectively. The obtained findings of the study demonstrated that the results of the AAA resection should be regarded as fairly good. The main factors influencing the quality of life and surgical outcomes in abdominal aortic aneurysms are as follows: CAD, arterial hypertension, and chronic cerebrovascular diseases. In patients without accompanying diseases, the criteria of quality of life after surgery approximate to those in a healthy population.

[Extra-anatomical bypass grafting from the ascending to the descending aorta combined with removal of the thoracic-aorta stent graft and a para-aortic abscess following endoscopic repair of the descending portion of the thoracic aorta].

The outcomes of reconstructive repair operations for aneurysms of the descending portion of the thoracic aorta typically appear to be relatively satisfactory. However, a certain cohort of patients presenting with the pathology concerned require repeated secondary interventions due to the development of false aneurysms in the area of the anastomosis and infection of the synthetic vascular stent graft, with the number of such patients steadily increasing with each year. The authors describe herein a clinical case report regarding successful treatment of a patient diagnosed with an infected pseudoaneurysm of the descending portion of the thoracic aorta after an endovascular repair operation. This case report demonstrated a present-day approach to appropriate treatment of patients presenting with the pathology involved.