Hybrid noncovered open stents in repair of DeBakey type 1 acute aortic dissections.

OBJECTIVES: The indications for use, evidence base and experience with the novel noncovered open hybrid surgical stents for acute type A aortic dissection repair for concurrent stabilization of the 'downstream' aorta remains limited. We review the evidence base and the development of these stents. METHODS: Data were collected from Pubmed/Medline literature search to develop and review the evidence base for safety and efficacy of non-covered surgical stents. Existing guidelines for use and developments were reviewed. RESULTS: A single randomized control trial and 4 single-centre studies were included in the review with a total worldwide experience of 241 patients. The deployment was easy and did not add significantly to the primary operation. The mortality and new stroke ranged from 6.3-18.7%. Safe and complete deployment was accomplished in 92-100%. There was no device-related reintervention. There was a significant improvement in malperfusion in over 90% of the cases with varying degrees of remodelling (60-90%) of the downstream aorta. CONCLUSIONS: Open noncovered stent grafts represent a major technical advancement as an adjunct procedure for acute dissection repairs, e.g. hemiarch repair. It has potential for wider use by non-aortic surgeons due to simplicity of technique. Limited safety and efficacy data confirm the device to be safe, feasible and reproducible with potential for wider adoption. However, long-term trial and registry data are required before recommendations for standard use outside of high-volume experienced aortic centres.

Early outcomes of the Frozenix J-graft with exclusion of the non-stent part at a single center.

Background: The frozen elephant trunk technique is useful in aortic arch repair; however, some adverse events are associated with the Frozenix J-graft. We designed a technique to prevent these adverse events and achieve easy anastomosis (Total Exclusion of the Non-Stent part of Frozenix using an Everting anastomosis [TENSE]), and we assessed the outcomes of this technique in the present study. Methods: From April 2017 to May 2021, 44 patients with aortic arch disease underwent TENSE, in which the proximal stump of the stent part of Frozenix was matched to the distal anastomosis end between the left common carotid and left subclavian arteries. Results: The median age of the patients (35 men, 9 women) was 76.5 years. The predicted mortality and morbidity rates were 10.0% and 40.2%, respectively, according to the JapanSCORE II. Two patients (4.5%) died of aneurysm rupture and interstitial pneumonia, respectively, during hospitalization. Four patients (9.1%) who developed postoperative cerebral infarction had a previous cerebral infarction (P=0.010). No patients developed spinal cord complications or Frozenix kinking. Follow-up computed tomography showed no endoleaks or aneurysmal dilatation, although one patient had possible distal stent graft-induced new entry. Conclusions: Our strategy provided good early outcomes without spinal cord complications or Frozenix kinking in patients with aortic arch disease. Continuous follow-up is needed to avoid missing distal changes.

Complete neck vessel preservation using a fenestrated stent graft for the treatment of proximal anastomotic leakage after open frozen elephant trunk graft aortic arch repair.

We have reported a case of proximal anastomotic leakage excluded with the Najuta fenestrated stent graft after a surgeon-modified frozen elephant trunk aortic arch graft. The fenestrated stent graft was deployed at the zone 0 proximal site, preserving the cervical branches. Complete neck vessel preservation during endovascular repair using a Najuta fenestrated stent graft appears to be safe and effective for anastomotic leakage after aortic arch aneurysm repair.

Total arch replacement with both frozen elephant trunk and transthoracic aorto-axillary extra-anatomical bypass through partial sternotomy for acute aortic dissection in a tracheostomy patient.

Median sternotomy near an existing tracheostoma risks deep sternal wound infection after cardiac surgery. We present herein a case of acute type A aortic dissection in a patient with a permanent tracheostoma after laryngectomy. Total arch replacement with both frozen elephant trunk and extra-anatomical bypass for supra-aortic trunks was performed through T-shaped partial sternotomy, resulting in recovery without deep sternal wound infection.

Saccular Aortic Arch Aneurysm with Kommerell's Diverticulum / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

The patient was a 73-year-old man who was referred to our hospital due to an abnormal thoracic shadow. CT scans revealed Kommerell's diverticulum and saccular aortic arch aneurysm accompanied by abnormal origins of the right aortic arch and the left subclavian artery. Although there were no subjective symptoms, a surgical operation was planned considering the risk of a rupture of the saccular aneurysm. For the surgery, a median sternotomy approach was employed. Under cardiopulmonary bypass, the aortic arch was detached using the open distal method. Further, an open stent graft was inserted, and the aortic arch was replaced with a four-branched artificial blood vessel. After weaning off the cardiopulmonary bypass, coil embolization was performed on the left subclavian artery, and the site was checked to ensure that there was no endoleak. Although hoarseness was noted postoperatively due to paralysis of the right vocal cord, the patient progressed without any other major complications and was discharged 30 days after the operation.

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.

Total aortic arch replacement using the J-graft open stent graft for distal aortic arch aneurysm: report from two centres in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: The open-style stent graft technique has been changing the strategy for true distal arch aneurysms extending to the descending aorta. Our mid-term results of surgical repair using a J-graft open stent graft are presented. METHODS: Between May 2015 and June 2020, 69 patients with a distal arch aneurysm (53 males, median age 74 years) underwent total arch replacement combined with J-graft open stent deployment. All 59 surviving patients were followed for a median follow-up period of 1.8 (0.6-3.6) years. RESULTS: Antegrade deployment was successfully performed in all patients without any difficulties. The deployed device was securely fixed at the target area, and it initiated thrombus formation. The diameter of the excluded aneurysm was decreased in 54 patients (91.5%) during the follow-up period. There were no type I endoleaks, but there were 3 type II endoleaks; 2 of the 3 type II endoleaks disappeared during the follow-up period. Additional endovascular operations were performed in 3 patients. There were 10 in-hospital deaths (14.5%), and the incidences of stroke, spinal cord injury and distal embolism were 11.6%, 5.8% and 2.9%, respectively. The 1- and 3-year survival rates were 84.8% and 79.4%, respectively, and the 1- and 3-year freedom from reintervention rates were 97.2% and 81.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The J-graft open stent graft was easy to deploy, and it could shift the distal anastomosis to a more proximal side. The mid-term performance of this device was good. It has the potential to provide one-stage repair.

Total arch replacement for the treatment of a giant protruding thrombus in the thoracic aorta derived from an atherosclerotic lesion.

A thoracic aortic thrombus is rare. The causes of this condition and the feasible options for its treatment remain controversial. Preventing embolic complications are the most important for the management of thoracic aortic thrombi. Herein, we report a case of a giant protruding thrombus in the thoracic aorta. We suggest total arch replacement (TAR) using an open stent graft (OSG) as a favorable management technique for thoracic aortic thrombi. We also recommend bilateral axillary artery cannulation to prevent cerebral infarction.

Rapidly Progressed Distal Arch Aneurysm with Distal Open Stent Graft-Induced New Entry Caused by "Spring-Back" Force.

The J Graft Open Stent Graft (JOSG) is used for the frozen elephant trunk procedure in Japan. We report a 70-year-old male who developed a rapidly progressing distal arch aneurysm caused by a distal stent graft-induced new entry (DSINE) 7 months after the procedure. The JOSG was originally implanted at the curved part of the distal arch. It created its initial DSINE on the greater curve and rapidly "sprang" back in 2 months. Urgent thoracic endovascular aortic repair fixed this serious complication. We should remember such rapid progression of DSINE by JOSG and treat its initial sign earlier.

Redo Descending Aortic Replacement via Direct Anastomosis to J Graft Open Stent Graft.

A 64-year-old man with prior history of total arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk was admitted for an enlarging descending thoracic aortic aneurysm. Preoperative computed tomography revealed previously implanted J graft open stent graft, a frozen elephant trunk device approved in Japan, with enlarged dissected aortic aneurysm from distal anastomosis site to the level of the diaphragm. The patient underwent descending aortic replacement. Proximal anastomosis was directly performed at the distal end of the previously implanted J graft open stent graft. Hemostasis at the anastomosis site was uneventful and the patient was discharged from the hospital without any aneurysm-related complication.

Folding procedure to diminish type 3 endoleakage after open stent graft surgery with TEVAR extension.

We herein report a new procedure to prevent type 3 endoleakage (EL3) after open stent graft (OSG) surgery with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) extension. The OSG Dacron graft portion is reversed and folded inside the OSG stent graft portion intraoperatively, filling the crack between the OSG and TEVAR device. We applied this procedure in two patients with no postoperative complications. Our folding procedure may prevent EL3 after OSG surgery if TEVAR extension is needed in the future.

Total Arch Replacement with a 150-mm J-Graft Open Stent Graft for a Syphilitic Aortic Aneurysm / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

A 66-year-old man was under observation as an outpatient for moderate aortic regurgitation and distal aortic arch aneurysm since 2005. He underwent surgery for gradual expansion of the distal aortic arch aneurysm. Preoperative enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a fusiform-type aortic aneurysm with a maximum short diameter of 63 mm. The aneurysm extended from the left subclavian artery to the descending aorta, 67 mm ahead. Based on the preoperative CT, a 150-mm open stent graft (OSG) was selected because of an adequate landing zone when inserted from the proximal site of the left subclavian artery. A 33-mm diameter graft was selected with a diameter 10% larger than that of the aorta at the landing zone. Moreover, the preoperative rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test was positive at 5.5 RU, and the fixed Treponema pallidum latex agglutination (TPLA) test was positive at 4,670 TU. He had undergone treatment for syphilis, and we concluded that the patient harbored antibodies after syphilis treatment. In the operating room, median sternotomy was performed. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was instated with bilateral axillary artery return, and superior vena cave (SVC) -inferior vena cave (IVC) venous drainage was placed. The aortic wall was strongly adherent to the surrounding tissue, similar to that observed in the aortitis syndrome. We performed aortic valve replacement during the systemic cooling. Under hypothermic circulatory arrest at 25°C with selective cerebral perfusion, the aorta was cut between the left common carotid artery and left subclavian artery. From this site, OSG was inserted to the level of the aortic valve. Total arch replacement was performed with a 30-mm bypass graft. Pathological findings indicated infiltration of lymphocytes and plasma cells around the feeding artery in the aortic aneurysm wall, and the aortic media wall showed fibrillation. Based on the intraoperative and postoperative pathologic findings, we diagnosed the patient with syphilitic aortic aneurysm, and started oral administration of amoxicillin 1,500 mg per day for 3 months. He was discharged on the 13th postoperative day without paraplegia, vocal cord paralysis, or other complications. Although syphilitic aortic aneurysm is rarely seen, it must always be considered as one of the causes of aortic aneurysm.

A Case of Traumatic Retrograde Type A Aortic Dissection Accompanied by Multiorgan Injuries.

A 75-year-old woman was involved in a traffic accident and suffered retrograde type A aortic dissection, multiple rib fractures, and grade II hepatic injury accompanied by intraperitoneal bleeding. We performed total arch replacement using an open stent graft with cardiopulmonary bypass and circulatory arrest. This procedure requires anticoagulation and hypothermia, which are principally contraindicated in severe trauma patients. However, this situation was resolved by managing the patient non-operatively for 7 days, confirming the stabilization of other injured organs, and then performing the surgery. She required prolonged postoperative rehabilitation; however, she recovered steadily.

Open stent graft repair with upper-half Sternotomy for blunt thoracic aortic injury: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair is now widely applied to the treatment of blunt aortic injury. However, its long-term outcomes remain unclear. Endoleakage and migration might occur in the long term, especially when younger patients undergo endovascular aortic repair. In open stent grafting, the proximal end of the open stent graft is directly sutured to the native aorta, which may reduce the risk of endoleakage and migration. We applied open stent grafting to the treatment of blunt aortic injury in the subacute phase and herein report the patient's clinical course. CASE PRESENTATION: A 20-year-old man with a developmental disorder collided with a steel tower while skiing. He was transferred to our hospital by helicopter. X-ray examination and computed tomography revealed fractures of left humeral head and femoral neck and aortic isthmus dissection. We did not perform an acute-phase operation because of the presence of multiple trauma and instead performed open stent grafting with an upper-half sternotomy 42 days after the injury. He recovered uneventfully without psychological problems other than his preexisting developmental disorder. No endoleakage or aneurysm was observed during an 18-month follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Open stent grafting might be an alternative to open surgery and thoracic endovascular aortic repair for blunt chest trauma, although intensive follow-up is needed.

Emergency Total Arch Replacement with J-Graft Open Stent Graft for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection, Requiring TEVAR for Stent Graft Stenosis / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

<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>

Staged Approach Using Proximal Open-Stenting Technique and Distal Open Repair for the Treatment of Extensive Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

<p>A 50-year-old man with an extensive thoracic aortic aneurysm underwent staged surgery which consisted of preceding total aortic arch replacement with the frozen elephant trunk technique using J Graft Open Stent Graft^®, followed by open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair. During the second operation, the descending aorta was cross clamped along with the preexisting stent graft, and Dacron graft was anastomosed directly to the stent graft using a running 4-0 monofilament suture. The anastomosis site was then covered with a short piece of Dacron graft identical with the stent graft in size to secure hemostasis. We herein discuss our approach in this complex case, focusing on prevention of inadvertent events such as deformation of the preexisting stent graft and unexpected bleeding.</p>

Combination of Ascending Aortic Replacement and Less Invasive Quick Open Stenting for Distal Aortic Arch Aneurysm with a Penetrating Atherosclerotic Ulcer / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

A 76-year-old man with hypertension had an enlarged distal aortic arch aneurysm with a maximum dimension of 55 mm. Coronary computed tomography angiogram showed none of stenosis in a coronary artery, but penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer at ascending aorta. We performed open surgical repair combination of ascending aortic replacement and less invasive quick open stenting (LIQS) to reduce operative risk, because of his advanced age. The operation was carried out without any complications (Operation time : 242 min, Cardiopulmonary bypass time : 154 min, Aortic cross clamp time : 71 min). The patient's postoperative course was unremarkable, and he was discharged 19 days after surgery. LIQS is effective to reduce operative risk for high-risk patients, and it can be easily combined with other procedures.

A Case of Frozen Elephant Trunk Technique for Aortic Dissection in Loeys-Dietz Syndrome / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

The patient was a 37 year-old man. We diagnosed Loeys-Dietz syndrome based on his physical characteristics that were widely spaced eyes and brachycephaly etc. Since he developed De Bakey III b aortic dissection 3 months later, he needed surgical repair for saccular-shaped distal arch aortic aneurysm. We performed total aortic arch replacement for the aneurysm and valve-sparing aortic root reconstruction for dilatation of the Valsalva sinus. Furthermore we performed the frozen elephant trunk technique for residual aortic dissection at the same time. After 18 months from the operation, we were able to recognize by computed tomography that the false lumen of the aorta next to the stent graft was thrombosed and absorbed and finally disappeared. The stent graft treatment for patients with connective tissue disease might be an effective method and deserves more attention.

Initial Results of Open Stent-Grafting Applied with a Matsui-Kitamura Stent in the Treatment of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

We reporte the initial results of open stent-grafting (OSG) applied with a Matsui-Kitamura (MK) stent in the treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA). From August 2005 to March 2011, OSG for TAA was applied in 35 cases (male/female, 29/6, 58∼86 years old, mean age 71). During deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with antegrade selective cerebral perfusion, the stent graft was delivered through the transected proximal aortic arch, followed by arch replacement with a 4-branched prosthesis. Concomitant procedures included 1 coronary artery bypass graft, 1 mitral valve replacement and 2 pacemaker implantations. Operative mortality within 30 days was 5.7% (respiratory failure in 1 and ischemic enteritis in 1). There was 1 in-hospital death due to brain stem infarction. Perioperative morbidity included 2 (5.7%) stroke, 5 (14.3%) spinal cord injuries (paraplegia in 1, paraparesis in 1 and transient paraparesis in 3) , and 1 (2.9%) temporary hemodialysis. Ten patients (28.6%) were intubated for more than 72 h. There was no complication with the graft-related incident. These initial results suggested the OSG method applied with a MK stent is a useful surgical procedure for the treatment of TAA.