Yong-Min Liu

Total Arch Replacement Combined With Stented Elephant Trunk Implantation A New “Standard” Therapy for Type A Dissection Involving Repair of the Aortic Arch?

Background— Appropriate surgical management of type A dissection is a critical factor for achieving satisfactory outcome, but the choice of optimal procedure is controversial. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with aortic arch replacement for type A dissection involving the arch. Methods and Results— Excluding 14 cases of subtotal or total aortic replacement, 411 of 544 patients with type A dissection (stented elephant trunk=291, conventional surgical repair=120) underwent aortic arch replacement between January 2003 and September 2008. In-hospital mortality was 3.09% (9 of 291) for stented (acute=4.73%, 7 of 148; chronic=1.40%, 2 of 143) and 5.00% (6 of 120) for conventional repairs (acute=6.06%, 4 of 66; chronic=3.70%, 2 of 54). Spinal cord injury was 2.41% (7 of 291) in the stented and 0.83% (1 of 120) in the conventional group. The overall prevalence of stroke was 1.95% (8 of 411) (stented=2.41%, 7 of 291; conventional=0.83, 1 of 120). Secondary intervention was 2.34% (5 of 214) for acute dissection (stented=1 and conventional=4; P=0.031) and 3.05% (6 of 197) for chronic dissection (stented=4 and conventional=2; P=0.661) during follow-up. Obliteration of the false lumen around the stented elephant trunk occurred in 94.2% (130 of 138) of patients with acute dissection and in 92.0% (126 of 137) of patients with chronic dissection. Conclusions— Total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation demonstrated the superiority of the combination of the surgical and interventional approaches while avoiding the weaknesses associated with the individual methods. The encouraging surgical results could enable this procedure to become the new “standard” therapy for type A dissection involving repair of the aortic arch.Background— Appropriate surgical management of type A dissection is a critical factor for achieving satisfactory outcome, but the choice of optimal procedure is controversial. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with aortic arch replacement for type A dissection involving the arch. Methods and Results— Excluding 14 cases of subtotal or total aortic replacement, 411 of 544 patients with type A dissection (stented elephant trunk=291, conventional surgical repair=120) underwent aortic arch replacement between January 2003 and September 2008. In-hospital mortality was 3.09% (9 of 291) for stented (acute=4.73%, 7 of 148; chronic=1.40%, 2 of 143) and 5.00% (6 of 120) for conventional repairs (acute=6.06%, 4 of 66; chronic=3.70%, 2 of 54). Spinal cord injury was 2.41% (7 of 291) in the stented and 0.83% (1 of 120) in the conventional group. The overall prevalence of stroke was 1.95% (8 of 411) (stented=2.41%, 7 of 291; conventional=0.83, 1 of 120). Secondary intervention was 2.34% (5 of 214) for acute dissection (stented=1 and conventional=4; P =0.031) and 3.05% (6 of 197) for chronic dissection (stented=4 and conventional=2; P =0.661) during follow-up. Obliteration of the false lumen around the stented elephant trunk occurred in 94.2% (130 of 138) of patients with acute dissection and in 92.0% (126 of 137) of patients with chronic dissection. Conclusions— Total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation demonstrated the superiority of the combination of the surgical and interventional approaches while avoiding the weaknesses associated with the individual methods. The encouraging surgical results could enable this procedure to become the new “standard” therapy for type A dissection involving repair of the aortic arch. # Clinical Perspective {#article-title-30}

Surgery for acute type A dissection using total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation: Experience with 107 patients

OBJECTIVE In patients with acute type A dissection, it is controversial whether to use a more aggressive strategy with extended aortic replacement to improve long-term outcome or to use a conventional strategy with limited ascending aortic or hemiarch replacement to circumvent a life-threatening situation. METHODS Between April 2003 and June 2007, 107 patients (17 women, 90 men; mean age, 45 +/- 11 years; range, 17-78 years) with acute type A dissection underwent total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation under hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass and selective cerebral perfusion. Computed tomography was performed to evaluate the residual false lumen in the descending aorta during follow-up. RESULTS Thirty-day mortality was 3.74% (4/107 patients), and in-hospital mortality was 4.67% (5/107 patients). Spinal cord injury was observed in 3 patients (1 patient with left lower-extremity paraparesis and 2 patients with paraplegia). Cerebral infarction was observed in 3 patients, ventilator support exceeding 5 days was required in 9 patients, and rebleeding was observed in 4 patients. During a mean follow-up of 35 +/- 14 months, 3 patients died and 3 patients were lost to follow-up. On postoperative computed tomography, complete thrombus formation was observed around the stented elephant trunk in 95% of patients (95/100) and at the diaphragmatic level in 69% of patients (69/100). CONCLUSION Low morbidity and mortality were achieved using total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation. These encouraging surgical results and postoperative outcomes favor this more aggressive procedure for acute type A dissection.

Surgery for marfan patients with acute type a dissection using a stented elephant trunk procedure.

BACKGROUND The purpose of the study was to assess the efficacy of total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation for Marfan patients with acute Stanford type A aortic dissection involving the aortic arch. METHODS Between January 2004 and April 2006, 13 consecutive Marfan patients (4 female, 9 male) with acute type A aortic dissection involving the aortic arch underwent total arch replacement combined with implantation of a stented elephant trunk. Aortic dissection extending to the iliac artery was seen in 10 patients, and to the abdominal aorta in 3 patients. Ages ranged from 17 to 65 years (mean, 39 +/- 13). Computed tomography was done to evaluate the residual false lumen in the descending aorta. RESULTS All patients survived and were discharged from hospital. One patient with thrombosis of the innominate artery suffered cerebral infarction and recovered during follow-up. One patient had ischemia of the left upper limb postoperatively, but recovered after axillary to axillary artery bypass. There was 1 death during the mean follow-up period of 27 +/- 10 months. Complete thrombus formation was observed in 84.6% of patients (11 of 13) around the stented elephant trunk, and in 69.2% of patients (9 of 13) at the diaphragmatic level. CONCLUSIONS Total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation for Marfan patients with acute type A aortic dissection involving the aortic arch results in less late dilatation of the dissected descending aorta. That prolongs the reoperation interval or reduces the number of late thoracoabdominal aortic replacements, unless there is a patent false lumen around the stented elephant trunk.

Surgery for Acute Type A Dissection With the Tear in the Descending Aorta Using a Stented Elephant Trunk Procedure

BACKGROUND Surgical management of acute type A dissection with the tear in the descending aorta is challenging because of the technical difficulty in managing proximal and distal aortic lesions through a median sternotomy or lateral thoracotomy using a single-stage procedure. METHODS Thirty-three patients with acute type A dissection with the tear in the descending aorta underwent total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation through a median sternotomy from April 2003 to June 2007. Preoperative complications included acute cardiac tamponade (n = 1), acute left heart failure (n = 1), acute myocardial infarction (n = 1), cerebral ischemia (n = 1), acute renal failure (n = 2), chronic renal dysfunction (n = 2), and acute mesenteric ischemia (n = 1) and lower extremity ischemia (n = 3). The residual false lumen was evaluated using postoperative computed tomography. RESULTS Death at 30 days was 6.06% (2 of 33 patients). One patient with preoperative mesenteric ischemia died of postoperative multiple-organ failure. One patient with preoperative acute renal failure ceased treatment after three reoperations owing to uncontrollable bleeding. Left lower-extremity paraparesis occurred in 1 patient, and transient neurologic dysfunction occurred in 1 patient. Severe complications were not observed at a mean follow-up of 25 +/- 11 months. Thrombus obliteration of the false lumen was observed at the distal end of the stented graft in 29 patients (96.7%) and at the diaphragmatic level in 20 patients (66.7%) during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Encouraging outcomes favor this technique in patients with acute type A dissection with the tear in the descending aorta. Simultaneous repair of proximal aortic lesions and thrombosis of the false lumen in the descending aorta could be obtained.

Sun's procedure of total arch replacement using a tetrafurcated graft with stented elephant trunk implantation: analysis of early outcome in 398 patients with acute type A aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND Acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) remains one of the most lethal conditions requiring surgical repair, and is associated with a high rate of postoperative mortality and morbidity. Despite the satisfactory clinical outcomes achieved with the frozen elephant trunk technique so far, controversies still exist regarding the use of this aggressive approach in patients with AAAD. In this study, we seek to analyze the early outcomes of the Suns procedure, which is an approach integrating total arch replacement using a 4-branched graft with implantation of a special stented graft in the descending aorta, and identify the risk factors for postoperative mortality and morbidity of the Suns procedure in patients with AAAD. METHODS Clinical data of 398 consecutive AAAD patients undergoing the Suns procedure were analyzed. The associations between 20 preoperative and intraoperative variables and early mortality were assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS Early mortality occurred in 31 patients (7.8%, 31/398), with leading causes including multi-organ failure in 16 patients (51.6%), permanent neurologic deficit in 6 (19.4%), and low cardiac output syndrome in 4 (12.9%). Permanent neurologic deficit and spinal cord injury occurred, each in 10 patients (2.5%, 10/398). Five significant risk factors for early mortality were identified with multivariate analysis: preexisting cerebrovascular disease [relative risk (RR) 14.76; P<0.001], acute heart failure (RR 18.18; P=0.001), spinal cord malperfusion (RR 60.13; P<0.002), visceral malperfusion (RR 30.25; P<0.001) and cardiopulmonary bypass time >190 minutes (RR 3.62; P=0.007). CONCLUSIONS The Suns procedure has generated a relatively lower mortality rate in 398 patients with AAAD. Patients with preexisting cerebrovascular disease, acute heart failure, spinal cord malperfusion, visceral malperfusion and long cardiopulmonary bypass time are at a higher risk of early mortality.

Is total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation justified for patients with chronic Stanford type A aortic dissection

OBJECTIVE Surgical treatment of chronic Stanford type A aortic dissection using total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation is controversial owing to the visceral arteries and intercostal arteries originating from the false lumen. METHODS Eighty-nine patients (mean age, 45.67 +/- 10.18 years; range, 21-68 years) with chronic type A dissection underwent total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation between April 2003 and March 2007. Careful assessment of the visceral arteries and location of entry and re-entry was done before surgery. Postoperative patency of the visceral arteries and diameter of the aortic artery and the residual false lumen were evaluated by computed tomography. RESULTS One (1.12%) hospital death and 2 (2.25%) late deaths occurred at a mean follow-up of 28.5 months (range, 8-52 months). Visceral malperfusion was not observed. Two patients had spinal cord injury and recovered during follow-up. One patient had a transient neurologic deficit and recovered completely before discharge. One patient underwent thoracoabdominal aortic replacement for aneurysmal dilatation of the residual descending aorta 3 months after the operation. Thrombus obliteration of the false lumen at the distal edge of the stented elephant trunk and at the diaphragmatic level was 94.2% (81/86) and 61.6% (53/86), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Satisfactory results with low morbidity and mortality were obtained. No visceral malperfusion and a low risk of postoperative spinal cord injury favor this technique in patients with chronic type A dissection.

Sun’s procedure for complex aortic arch repair: total arch replacement using a tetrafurcate graft with stented elephant trunk implantation

The Suns procedure is a surgical technique proposed by Dr. Li-Zhong Sun in 2002 that integrates total aortic arch replacement using a tetrafurcated graft with implantation of a specially designed frozen elephant trunk (Cronus(®)) in the descending aorta. It is used as a treatment option for extensive aortic dissections or aneurysms involving the ascending aorta, aortic arch and the descending aorta. The technical essentials of Suns procedure include implantation of the special open stented graft into the descending aorta, total arch replacement with a 4-branched vascular graft, right axillary artery cannulation, selective antegrade cerebral perfusion for brain protection, moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest at 25 °C, a special anastomotic sequence for aortic reconstruction (i.e., proximal descending aorta → left carotid artery → ascending aorta → left subclavian artery → innominate artery), and early rewarming and reperfusion after distal anastomosis to minimize cerebral and cardiac ischemia. The core advantage of Suns procedure lies in the use of a unique stented graft, which has superior technical simplicity, flexibility, inherent mechanical durability and an extra centimeter of attached regular vascular graft at both ends. Since its introduction in 2003, the Suns procedure has produced satisfactory early and long-term results in over 8,000 patients in China and more than 200 patients in South American countries. In a series of 1,092 patients, the authors have achieved an in-hospital mortality rate of 6.27% (7.98% in emergent or urgent vs. 3.98% in elective cases). Given the accumulating clinical experience and the consequent, continual evolution of surgical indications, the Suns procedure is becoming increasingly applied/used worldwide as an innovative and imaginative enhancement of surgical options for the dissected (or aneurysmal) ascending aorta, aortic arch and proximal descending aorta, and may become the next standard treatment for type A aortic dissections requiring repair of the aortic arch.

The Patency of Sequential and Individual Vein Coronary Bypass Grafts: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND Saphenous vein grafts continue to be the backbone of daily coronary revascularization practice, but controversy still exists about whether to use them as an individual or sequential graft. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies to compare the midterm or long-term patency of sequential vein coronary bypass grafts with those of vein grafts. METHODS A comprehensive search strategy was run in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. Inclusion criteria were the following: (1) two cohorts of patients received sequential and single saphenous vein coronary bypass grafting, respectively; (2) prospective or retrospective cohort design; and (3) graft patency examined by angiography or ultrafast computed tomography. Two researchers independently performed the literature search, data extraction, and quality assessment. RESULTS We identified 1,385 titles, reviewed 38 articles for inclusion criteria, and included 12 studies in the meta-analysis. The risk of occlusion in sequential grafts was lower (risk ratio [RR] = 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60 to 0.74) than that in single grafts. The risk of occlusion in side-to-side anastomoses was lower (RR = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.80) than that of end-to-side anastomoses for sequential vein grafts. There was no difference in occlusion between the distal end-to-side anastomoses of sequential vein grafts and those of single vein grafts (RR = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.68 to 1.06). CONCLUSIONS The midterm and long-term patency of sequential vein grafts appears to be better than that of single vein grafts and the patency of side-to-side anastomoses appears to be better than that of end-to-side anastomoses for sequential vein grafts.

Frozen elephant trunk with total arch replacement for type A aortic dissections: Does acuity affect operative mortality?

OBJECTIVE We seek to compare the early outcomes of frozen elephant trunk with total aortic arch replacement using a 4-branched graft (the Sun procedure) in patients with acute and chronic type A aortic dissection (TAAD), identify the risk factors for operative mortality, and determine whether the acuity of TAAD significantly affects operative mortality. METHODS We performed univariate and multivariate analyses of the clinical data from 803 patients with TAAD who underwent the Sun procedure. RESULTS The operative mortality was 6.5% (52 of 803). The overall incidence of stroke and spinal cord injury was 2.0% (16 of 803) and 2.4% (19 of 803), respectively. Patients with acute TAAD had a greater incidence of operative death (8.1% vs 4.3%; P = .031), stroke (2.2% vs 0.6%; P = .046), and respiratory morbidities (20.8% vs 8.6%; P < .001). However, acuity was not identified as a risk factor for operative mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.67; P = .152). The risk factors were previous cerebrovascular disease (OR, 7.01; P = .001); malperfusion of the brain (OR, 7.10; P = .002), kidneys (OR, 12.67; P = .005), spinal cord (OR, 22.79; P = .008), and viscera (OR 22.98; P = .002); concomitant extra-anatomic bypass (OR, 9.50; P < .001); and cardiopulmonary bypass time >180 minutes (OR, 1.01; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS In this group of patients with type A dissection, acuity was not a risk factor for operative mortality after the Sun procedure. Patients with previous cerebrovascular disease; malperfusion of the brain, kidneys, spinal cord, and/or viscera; concomitant extra-anatomic bypass; and a longer cardiopulmonary bypass time (>180 minutes) were at greater risk of operative mortality.

Treatment of complex coarctation and coarctation with cardiac lesions using extra-anatomic aortic bypass

BACKGROUND Coarctation of the aorta with cardiac lesions or complex coarctation is a formidable challenge for cardiac surgeons. Extra-anatomic bypass allows simultaneous intracardiac repair or an alternative approach for patients with complex coarctation. METHODS Between July 1997 and March 2008, 43 patients with coarctation of the aorta underwent extra-anatomic bypass grafting, including 10 ascending-to-descending aorta bypasses and 33 ascending aorta-to-infrarenal abdominal aorta bypasses. Forty patients had additional cardiovascular disorders and concomitant procedures performed including aortic valve replacement, mitral valve replacement, coronary artery bypass grafting, closure of ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus, ascending aorta repair, and the Bentall procedure. The other three patients had complex coarctation of the aorta, including a long-segment coarctation in two cases, and descending aortic aneurysm in one. RESULTS Two patients died perioperatively: one due to air embolism during the cardiopulmonary bypass; one due to septic shock. There were no late deaths. Complications included laparotomy for mechanical ileus in one and re-exploration for bleeding in one case. There were no strokes or paraplegia and no grafted-related complication during follow-up period. Systolic blood pressure dropped from 160 +/- 27 mm Hg before surgery to 114 +/- 16 mm Hg postoperatively. Only two patients with mild hypertension postoperatively needed oral medicine. CONCLUSIONS Extra-anatomic aortic bypass via median sternotomy or median sternotomy-laparotomy can be performed with low morbidity and mortality. It is a preferable single-stage approach for patients with concomitant complex coarctation and cardiovascular disorders.