Retrieving a lost needle in the descending aorta during hemi-arch replacement

A 73-year-old man diagnosed with moderate aortic insufficiency and dilatation of the aortic root and ascending aorta underwent a modified Bentall procedure and hemi-arch aortic replacement. During open distal anastomosis of the ascending aorta, the surgical needle was lost. Because of circulatory arrest, the operation was continued; before closing the chest, radiography and a transesophageal echo were located in the needle in the descending aorta. It was retrieved using a snare catheter via the graft branch under fluoroscopic guidance. Thus, locating the needle in the descending aorta and leaving the graft branch uncut led to its removal without a new incision.

Neuroprotective strategies with circulatory arrest in open aortic surgery – A meta-analysis

Objective Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) in aortic surgery is associated with morbidity and mortality despite evolving strategies. With the advent of antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP), moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest (MHCA) was reported to have better outcomes than DHCA. There is no standardised guideline or consensus regarding the hypothermic strategies to be employed in open aortic surgery. Meta-analysis was performed comparing DHCA with MHCA + ACP in patients having aortic surgery. Methods A systematic review of the literature was undertaken. Any studies with DHCA versus MHCA + ACP in aortic surgeries were selected according to specific inclusion criteria and analysed to generate summative data. Statistical analysis was performed using STATS Direct. The primary outcomes were hospital mortality and post-operative stroke. Secondary outcomes were cardiopulmonary bypass time (CPB), post-operative blood transfusion, length of ICU stay, respiratory complications, renal failure and length of hospital stay. Subgroup analysis of primary outcomes for Arch surgery alone was also performed. Results Fifteen studies were included with a total of 5869 patients. There was significantly reduced mortality (Pooled OR = +0.64, 95% CI = +0.49 to +0.83; p = 0.0006) and stroke rate (Pooled OR = +0.62, 95% CI = +0.49 to +0.79; p < 0.001) in the MHCA group. MHCA was associated significantly with shorter CPB times, shorter duration in ICU, less pulmonary complications, and reduced rates of sepsis. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of circulatory arrest times, X-Clamp times, total operation duration, transfusion requirements, renal failure and post-op hospital stay. Conclusion MHCA + ACP are associated with significantly better post-operative outcomes compared with DHCA for both mortality and stroke and majority of the secondary outcomes.

Use of On-Site Digital Subtraction Angiography for Left Subclavian Artery Management During Hybrid Aortic Arch Repair in DeBakey I Dissection

Purpose: A hybrid aortic repair using the frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique with an open distal anastomosis in zone 2 and debranching of the left subclavian artery (LSA) has been demonstrated to be favorable and safe. Although a transposition of the LSA reduces the risk of cerebellar or medullar ischemia, this may be challenging in difficult LSA anatomies. Case Report: We present the case of a 61-year old patient with DeBakey I aortic dissection, treated with FET in moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest (26°C) and selective cerebral perfusion using a Thoraflex-Hybrid (Vascutek Terumo) prosthesis anchored in zone 2, with overstenting of the LSA orifice and no additional LSA debranching. Sufficient perfusion of the LSA was proved intraoperatively using LSA backflow analysis during selective cerebral perfusion in combination with on-site digital subtraction angiography (ARTIS Pheno syngo software). No neurologic dysfunction or ischemia occurred in the postoperative course. An angiographic computed tomography revealed physiologic LSA perfusion, with subsequent thrombotic occlusion of the false lumen in the proximal descending aorta after 7 days. Conclusion: Using an angiography-guided management in patients with complex DeBakey I dissection and difficult anatomy may simplify a proximalization of the distal anastomosis in zone 2 for FET, even without an additional LSA debranching.

Preliminary results of single centre experience with the “release and perfuse technique” during aortic arch surgery.

Background and aim of the study To evaluate whether the release and perfuse technique implies a circulatory arrest time comparable with or shorter than those of standard Frozen Elephant Trunk technique in aortic arch surgery. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who had undergone aortic arch repair with Release and Perfuse Technique (RPT) or standard Frozen Elephant Trunk (FET) at our Institution between January 2018 and May 2021. Primary endpoints were the comparison of circulatory arrest time, perioperative variables, and complications between two groups. A propensity score weighting approach was used for data analysis. Results A total of 41 patients underwent aortic arch surgery were analyzed:15 (37%) and 26 (63 %) in RPT and FET group, respectively. The use of RPT showed a significant shorter circulatory arrest times than FET: 9 min vs 58 min (P < 0.001), respectively. The median lactates peak in the first 24h post intervention was 2.6 for RPT group and 5.4 mmol/L for FET group, (P <0.0001). When compared with the FET, RPT is associated with significant reduction in the use of packed red blood cells (P <0.0001), fresh frozen plasma (P <0.0001), platelet concentrate (P <0.0001), and fibrinogen (P <0.004). The median ICU stay was 3 and 9 days (P = 0.011), whereas the median hospital stay was 12 and 18.5 days (P=0.004) in the RPT and FET groups, respectively. Thirty-day mortality and postoperative outcomes were comparable between the two groups. Conclusions Considering the anatomical limitations related to the use of this technique, the RPT appears to be safe, feasible, and effective in reducing the circulatory arrest time during aortic arch surgery. Nevertheless, further studies are required to demonstrate its safety and efficacy.

Risks and Association of Impaired Cerebral Autoregulation With Outcomes in Aortic Arch Surgery: A Single-center, Retrospective Cohort Study

BackgroundImpairment of cerebral autoregulation (CA) has been observed in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), but little is known about its risks and associations with outcomes. The objective of this study was to analyze the risks of impaired CA, based on cerebral oximetry index (COx), in patients undergoing total aortic arch replacement with CPB and moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest (MHCA). We also evaluated the association between impaired CA and patient outcomes.MethodsOne hundred fifteen four adult patients who underwent total aortic arch replacement with stented elephant trunk implantation under CPB and MHCA at our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were defined as having new-onset impaired CA if post-CPB COx > 0.3, calculated based on a moving linear correlation coefficient between regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) and mean blood pressure (MAP). Pre- and intraoperative factors were tested for independent association with impaired CA. Postoperative outcomes were compared between patients with normal and impaired CA.ResultsIn our 154 patients, 46(29.9%) developed new-onset impaired CA after CPB with MHCA. Multivariate analysis revealed a prolonged low rScO2 (rScO2 <55%) independently associated with onset of impaired CA, and receiver operating charactoristic curve showed a cutoff value at 40 min (sensitivity, 89.5%; specificity, 68.0%). Compared with normal CA patients, those with impaired CA showed a significantly higher rates of in-hospital mortality and postoperative complications.ConclusionProlonged low rScO2 (rScO2 <55%) during aortic arch surgery was closely related to onset of impaired CA. Impaired CA remained associated with the increased rates of postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality.Trial registration: ChiCTR1800014545 with registered date 20/01/2018.

Hybrid Approach in Acute and Chronic Aortic Disease

The management of patients with aortic disease that involves the ascending aorta, the aortic arch, and the descending aorta represent a surgical challenge. Open surgical repair remains the gold standard for aortic arch pathologies. However, this operation requires a cardiopulmonary bypass and a period of profound hypothermia and circulatory arrest, which carries a substantial rate of mortality and morbidity. For these reasons, hybrid arch repair that involves a combination of open surgery with endovascular aortic stent graft placement has been introduced as a therapeutic alternative for those patients deemed unfit for open surgical procedures. Hybrid repair requires varying degrees of invasiveness and can be performed as a single-stage procedure or as a two-stage procedure. The choice of the technique is multifactorial, depending on the characteristics of the diseased arch with regard to position of the stent graft proximal landing zone, patient fitness and comorbid status, as well as surgical expertise and hospital facilities. Among the evolving hybrid procedures is the so-called “frozen” or stented elephant trunk technique. Adapted from the classical elephant trunk technique, this approach facilitates the repair of a concomitant aortic arch and proximal descending aortic aneurysms in a single stage under circulatory arrest. This technique is increasingly being used to treat extensive thoracic aortic disease and has shown promising results.

A modified perfusion protocol for pulmonary endarterectomy in a patient with a hematologic malignancy treated with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) are known to be highly effective in the treatment of various cancers with kinase-domain mutations such as chronic myelogenous leukemia. However, they have important side effects such as increased vascular permeability and pulmonary hypertension. In patients undergoing pulmonary endarterectomy with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, these side effects may exacerbate postoperative complications such as reperfusion edema and persistent pulmonary hypertension. We report on a simple modification of the perfusion strategy to increase intravascular oncotic pressure by retrograde autologous priming and the addition of packed cells and albumin in a patient treated with a TKI.