Robin H. Heijmen

The elephant trunk technique: operative results in 100 consecutive patients

OBJECTIVES To describe morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing the elephant trunk (ET) implantation as the first stage in the repair of their mega aorta and to assess determinants for the occurrence of complications. METHODS One hundred consecutive patients undergoing an ET implantation between 1984 and June 2001 were retrospectively analyzed. The ET was implanted as an extension of an isolated aortic arch (1%), an aortic valve replacement+ascending aorta+arch (14%), a root replacement+ascending aorta+arch (37%) and an ascending aorta+arch (48%). Indications for surgery were acute aortic dissection (1%), an inflammatory aneurysm (3%), chronic post-dissection (31%) or degenerative (65%) aneurysm. Marfan syndrome was present in six patients. For cerebral protection, we used isolated deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (7%), deep hypothermic circulatory arrest combined with uni- or bilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion (18%) or isolated uni- or bilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion (75%). Uni- and multivariate analysis was used. RESULTS There were no intraoperative deaths. Hospital mortality was 8%. The causes of death were cardiac in one, rupture of a remote aneurysm in three, tamponade in one and sepsis in three. After multivariate analysis, no single factor emerged as a risk factor for hospital mortality. Permanent and transient neurologic dysfunction occurred in 4 and 2%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed the operative period before 1990 (P=0.029) and emergency (P=0.018) as significant factors for postoperative neurologic dysfunction; after stepwise logistic regression analysis, only emergent operation retained significance (P=0.005). Permanent hoarseness, total atrioventricular block requiring pacemaker implantation and re-thoracotomy for bleeding occurred in 17, 2 and 30%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The first step in the repair of a mega aorta, the implantation of an ET, can be performed with a low mortality and an acceptable morbidity. The risk of central neurologic damage is higher in emergency interventions.

Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: Results of Conventional Open Surgery

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to report our experience in the surgical repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) over the last 27 years against the background of evolving surgical techniques. METHODS We reviewed the prospectively collected data of 571 patients who underwent open TAAA repair between 1981 and 2008. Data were analysed using univariate and multivariate analysis (logistic regression). Pre-, intra- and postoperative risk factors were used to develop risk models for in-hospital mortality, spinal cord deficit and renal failure. Recent published series were used to highlight the different treatment modalities and explore results. RESULTS Seventy patients (12.3%) died in the hospital, the 30-day mortality was 8.9%, 37 patients (6.5%) required postoperative dialysis and 47 patients (8.3%) developed paraplegia or paraparesis. The incidence of paraplegia in the left heart bypass group was 4.4%. The predictors for hospital mortality were increasing age (odds ratio 1.096 per year, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05-1.14) and the need for haemodialysis (odds ratio 10, 95% CI: 4.7-21.1). For postoperative spinal cord deficit, we found three protecting factors: age above 75 years (odds ratio 0.14, 95% CI: 0.19-1.09), the presence of a post-dissection aneurysm (odds ratio 0.4, 95% CI: 0.17-0.94) and the combined use of cerebrospinal fluid drainage and motor-evoked potentials (odds ratio 0.28, 95% CI: 0.14-0.56). The urgency of procedure (odds ratio 4, 95% CI: 1.8-9) and preoperative serum creatinine level (odds ratio 1.007 per micromole per litre, 95% CI: 1.0-1.01) were significant risk factors for renal failure. CONCLUSIONS Open TAAA repair intrinsically has substantial complications, of which spinal cord ischaemia and renal failure are the most devastating, despite major progress in our understanding of the pathophysiology and operative strategy. An overview of the results of recently published series is given along with an analysis of our data.

Endovascular stent-grafting for descending thoracic aortic aneurysms

OBJECTIVE Endoluminal placement of covered stent-grafts emerges as a less-invasive alternative to open surgical repair of thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA). The present report describes our experience with endovascular stent-grafting in the treatment of descending TAA. METHODS From 1997 to 2001, 28 descending TAAs were treated in 27 patients (17 male, mean age 70 years) by endovascular stent-grafting. The aneurysms (mean diameter, 6.6 cm) had diverse causes, but the majority were due to atherosclerosis (71%). They were predominantly localized in the proximal (32%), central (39%), and distal part (22%) of the descending thoracic aorta. In two patients (7%), the entire thoracic aorta was treated. Preliminary subclavian-carotid artery transposition was performed in five patients. AneurX (n=6), Talent (n=9), and Excluder (n=13) stent-grafts were used. In 13 cases (46%), multiple stents were necessary for complete aneurysm exclusion. RESULTS In 27 of 28 cases (96%), the endovascular stent-grafts were successfully deployed. In one patient, stent dislocation into the aneurysm required open surgical repair in a subsequent procedure. There was no operative mortality. None of the patients developed paraplegia or paraparesis. No distal embolization occurred. After a median follow-up of 21 months (range, 1-49 months), there was one non-related late death. There was no aneurysm rupture. Maximal aneurysm diameter either remained stable or decreased slightly over time in all but one patient with evidence of an endoleak. Endoleaks occurred in eight patients (29%) during follow-up. In five of them the endoleaks sealed spontaneously, whereas in two patients a distal extension was inserted. CONCLUSIONS Endovascular repair of descending TAAs is a promising less-invasive alternative to open repair. Extended follow-up is necessary to determine its definite efficacy in the longer term.

Endovascular treatment of acute and chronic aortic dissection: midterm results from the Talent Thoracic Retrospective Registry.

OBJECTIVE This study examined midterm results after treatment with the endovascular Talent thoracic stent graft (Medtronic/AVE, Santa Rosa, Calif) in patients with acute or chronic aortic dissection. METHODS In the Talent Thoracic Retrospective Registry, 180 patients were treated for acute or chronic aortic dissection (mean age: 59.6 +/- 13.0 years). Thirty-seven (20.6%) patients had acute aortic complications with signs of rupture, distal malperfusion, or persistent pain; the remainder were in stable condition. Aortic diameter was 53.5 +/- 14.3 mm, the distance from the left subclavian artery to the proximal entry tear was 44.1 +/- 41.9 mm, and dissection extended beyond the celiac axis in 88.3% of cases. Length of covered aorta measured 138.9 +/- 45.7 mm, with one stent graft used in 125 (69.4%) patients. RESULTS Procedural success was 98.3%. Nine patients died within 30 days, yielding an overall early mortality of 5.0%. For in-hospital outcome, multivariate analysis showed that age greater than 75 years (odds ratio [OR] 4,9; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.6-15.1; P = .006), American Society of Anesthesiologists class greater than III (OR 2.8; 95% CI 1.0-7.5; P = .04), and emergency status (OR 3.5; 95% CI 1.3-8.9; P = .01) were independent predictors of major adverse events. Compared with electively treated patients, emergency status was associated with a higher incidence of in-hospital mortality (13.5% vs 2.1%; P = .003) and neurologic events (16.2% vs 4.2%; P = .01). However, patients with acute dissection had a smaller baseline diameter and were less often identified to have secondary endoleaks and progressive enlargement. Average follow-up for hospital survivors was 22.3 +/- 17.0 months with an estimated survival of 94.9% +/- 1.7% at 30 days, 90.6% +/- 2.3% at 12 months, 90.6% +/- 2.3% at 24 months, and 81.8% +/- 4.8 % at 36 months. During follow-up, 30 patients required a total of 32 secondary interventions including 12 open and 20 endovascular procedures, accounting for an estimated 71.5% freedom from reinterventions at 36 months. Follow-up imaging revealed stable or decreasing thoracic aortic diameter in 80.5% of patients. CONCLUSION Endovascular treatment for aortic dissection is associated with reasonably low morbidity and mortality. Long-term surveillance is crucial to define more comprehensively the durability of stent graft treatment of aortic dissection and to determine which patients are appropriate candidates for stent graft therapy.

Open surgery versus endovascular repair of ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysms.

BACKGROUND Ruptured descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (rDTAA) is a cardiovascular catastrophe, associated with high morbidity and mortality, which can be managed either by open surgery or thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The purpose of this study is to retrospectively compare the mortality, stroke, and paraplegia rates after open surgery and TEVAR for the management of rDTAA. METHODS Patients with rDTAA treated with TEVAR or open surgery between 1995 and 2010 at seven institutions were identified and included for analysis. The outcomes between both treatment groups were compared; the primary end point of the study was a composite end point of death, permanent paraplegia, and/or stroke within 30 days after the intervention. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for the primary end point. RESULTS A total of 161 patients with rDTAA were included, of which 92 were treated with TEVAR and 69 with open surgery. The composite outcome of death, stroke, or permanent paraplegia occurred in 36.2% of the open repair group, compared with 21.7% of the TEVAR group (odds ratio [OR], 0.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], .24-.97; P = .044). The 30-day mortality was 24.6% after open surgery compared with 17.4% after TEVAR (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, .30-1.39; P = .260). Risk factors for the composite end point of death, permanent paraplegia, and/or stroke in multivariate analysis were increasing age (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08; P = .036) and hypovolemic shock (OR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.09-5.60; P = .030), while TEVAR was associated with a significantly lower risk of the composite end point (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, .20-.95; P = .039). The aneurysm-related survival of patients treated with open repair was 64.3% at 4 years, compared with 75.2% for patients treated with TEVAR (P = .191). CONCLUSIONS Endovascular repair of rDTAA is associated with a lower risk of a composite of death, stroke, and paraplegia, compared with traditional open surgery. In rDTAA patients, endovascular management appears the preferred treatment when this method is feasible.

Acute management of aortobronchial and aortoesophageal fistulas using thoracic endovascular aortic repair

BACKGROUND Aortobronchial fistula (ABF) and aortoesophageal fistula (AEF) are rare but lethal if untreated; open thoracic surgery is associated with high operative mortality and morbidity. In this case series, we sought to investigate outcomes of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for emergency cases of ABF and AEF. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed all patients with AEF and ABF undergoing TEVAR in three European teaching hospitals between 2000 and January 2009. Eleven patients were identified including 6 patients with ABF, 4 patients with AEF, and 1 patient with a combined ABF and AEF. In-hospital outcomes and follow-up after TEVAR were evaluated. RESULTS Median age was 63 years (interquartile range, 31); 8 were male. Ten patients presented with hemoptysis or hematemesis; 4 developed hemorrhagic shock. All patients underwent immediate TEVAR, and 3 AEF patients required additional esophageal surgery. Five patients died (45%), including 3 patients with AEF, 1 patient with ABF, and 1 patient with a combined ABF and AEF, after a median duration of 22 days (interquartile range, 51 days). The patient with AEF that survived had received early esophageal reconstruction. Causes of death were: sepsis (n = 2), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (n = 1), thoracic infections (n = 1), and aortic rupture (n = 1). Median follow-up of surviving patients was 45 months (interquartile range, 45 months). Six additional vascular interventions were performed in 3 survivors. CONCLUSION TEVAR does prevent immediate exsanguination in patients admitted with AEF and ABF, but after initial deployment of the endograft and control of the hemodynamic status, most patients, in particular those with AEF, are at risk for infectious complications. Early esophageal repair after TEVAR appears to improve the survival in case of AEF. Therefore, TEVAR may serve as a bridge to surgery in emergency cases of AEF with subsequent definitive open operative repair of the esophageal defect as soon as possible. In patients with ABF, additional open surgery may not be necessary after the endovascular procedure.

Early Results of Endovascular Treatment of the Thoracic Aorta Using the Valiant Endograft

Endovascular repair of the thoracic aorta has been adopted as the first-line therapy for much pathology. Initial results from the early-generation endografts have highlighted the potential of this technique. Newer-generation endografts have now been introduced into clinical practice and careful assessment of their performance should be mandatory. This study describes the initial experience with the Valiant endograft and makes comparisons with similar series documenting previous-generation endografts. Data were retrospectively collected on 180 patients treated with the Valiant endograft at seven European centers between March 2005 and October 2006. The patient cohort consisted of 66 patients with thoracic aneurysms, 22 with thoracoabdominal aneurysms, 19 with an acute aortic syndrome, 52 with aneurysmal degeneration of a chronic dissection, and 21 patients with traumatic aortic transection. The overall 30-day mortality for the series was 7.2%, with a stroke rate of 3.8% and a paraplegia rate of 3.3%. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that mortality differed significantly between different indications; thoracic aneurysms (6.1%), thoracoabdominal aneurysms (27.3%), acute aortic syndrome (10.5%), chronic dissections (1.9%), and acute transections (0%). Adjunctive surgical procedures were required in 63 patients, and 51% of patients had grafts deployed proximal to the left subclavian artery. Comparison with a series of earlier-generation grafts demonstrated a significant increase in complexity of procedure as assessed by graft implantation site, number of grafts and patient comorbidity. The data demonstrate acceptable results for a new-generation endograft in series of patients with diverse thoracic aortic pathology. Comparison of clinical outcomes between different endografts poses considerable challenges due to differing case complexity.

Management of Vascular Access in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Part 2: Vascular Complications

The interventional cardiologist must be able to recognize and manage potential vascular complications. Iliofemoral complications are the most frequent vascular complications in transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Small vessel dimensions, moderate or severe calcification, and center experience are the major predictors. The traditional treatment for injured arteries has been surgical reconstruction, but endovascular techniques may allow for less invasive but effective management of arterial injuries. Dissection may be treated with prolonged balloon inflation or deployment of a self-expanding or balloon-expandable stent or a surgical graft. Iliofemoral rupture is a serious complication that may lead to retroperitoneal bleeding that can be unrecognized. Rapid insertion of a dilator or sheath or an occlusive balloon is used to achieve hemostasis. Prolonged balloon inflation or implantation of a covered stent or surgical repair should then be considered. Treatment options for failed percutaneous closure include prolonged manual compression, balloon angioplasty, stent implantation, and surgery. Aortic complications are rare, but serious complications are associated with a high mortality rate, even if emergent surgery is performed. There are specific vascular complications associated with alternative access routes such as transapical and transaxillary and direct aortic access.

Long-term outcome after pulmonary endarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: a single institution experience.

OBJECTIVE Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is the first treatment of choice with good short-term results. Only limited data are available concerning the long-term outcome after PEA. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term survival and functional outcome after PEA with nearly 10 years experience. METHOD In the period of December 1998 and December 2007 120 patients with CTEPH were referred to the St Antonius Hospital (Nieuwegein, The Netherlands) of whom 72 underwent PEA. The clinical data are collected retrospectively. RESULTS In-hospital mortality was (5/72) 6.9%. Since 2004 one patient died in the hospital (1/38, 2.9%). Two patients died during long-term follow-up with a median observation of 3 years. The overall 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 93.1%, 91.2% and 88.7% respectively. Prior to surgery patients were in New York Heart Association functional class III (58) and IV (14) with a mean pulmonary vascular resistance of 572+/-313 dynes s cm(-5). The following data were compared before and after operation: mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) decreased from 42+/-11 to 22+/-7 mmHg (p=0.0001), NT-pro BNP improved from 1527+/-1652 to 160+/-3 pg/ml (p=0.0001), 6 min walk distance (6MWD) from 359+/-124 to 518+/-11 m (p=0.0001), and almost all patients returned to functional class I or II (p=0.0001). CONCLUSION Pulmonary endarterectomy for patients with CTEPH has shown a dramatic improvement of clinical status with excellent long-term survival.

Management of Vascular Access in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Part 1: Basic Anatomy, Imaging, Sheaths, Wires, and Access Routes

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a new therapy for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are inoperable or at very high risk of open heart surgery. Vascular complications are a potential limitation of TAVI and have been associated with bleeding, transfusions, and mortality. Transfemoral TAVI can be considered the least invasive approach and is therefore the most widely used access for TAVI. With the current 18-F to 24-F sheaths, the majority of patients can be treated via the transfemoral route. Initially, open surgical access was routinely used to introduce the large sheaths and catheters. Subsequently, percutaneous techniques have emerged as the new standard, resulting in a less invasive, fully percutaneous procedure. Stiff wires allow insertion of the sheath and delivery of the device without causing trauma to the artery. Given the high burden of vascular disease in TAVI candidates, increasing the effectiveness of pre-procedural screening is key. This often begins with conventional angiography, but computed tomography allows visualization of the artery in 3 dimensions, thereby overcoming some of the limitations of conventional angiography. Approximately one third of patients do not have adequate anatomy to allow safe transfemoral access. In such patients, alternative access routes such as the transapical, transaxillary, or direct aortic access are preferred. These alternative routes all have specific advantages and disadvantages.