title: Surgery for ruptured thoracic and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the outcome of patients with ruptured descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms undergoing emergency repair, in comparison to elective surgery for chronic lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study of 100 consecutive patients operated upon the descending aorta (1-8 segments) using proximal unloading and distal protection with partial cardiopulmonary bypass, heparin surface-coated perfusion equipment and low systemic heparinization (loading dose 100 IU/kg, activated coagulation time > 180 s), staged cross-clamping, sealed grafts and graft inclusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Arteriosclerotic lesions were present in 53/100 patients (53%) for all, 30/53 (56%) for chronic, and 21/33 (63%) for ruptured, aneurysms (NS). Dissecting lesions were found in 38/100 patients (38%) for all, 20/53 (38%) for chronic, and 8/33 (24%) for ruptured aneurysms (NS). Preoperative hematocrit was 38 +/- 6% for all, 40 +/- 5% for chronic, and 33 +/- 5% for ruptured aneurysmal patients (P < 0.001 ruptured versus chronic). The extent of aortic repair (1-8 segments) was 3.3 +/- 1.6 for all, 3.5 +/- 1.5 for chronic, and 3.2 +/- 1.4 for ruptured, aneurysms (NS). Transdiaphragmatic repair was performed in 51/100 (51%) of all, 28/53 (53%) of chronic, and 17/33 (51%) of ruptured aneurysms (NS). Aortic cross-clamp time was 38 +/- 21 min for all, 39 +/- 24 min for chronic, and 38 +/- 17 min for ruptured, aneurysmal patients (NS). The amount of red cells washed and autotransfused was 2792 +/- 2239 ml in all, 3143 +/- 2531 ml in chronic, and 2074 +/- 1350 ml in ruptured, aneurysmal patients (P < 0.025). The amount of packed red cells required was 2181 +/- 1830 ml for all, 1736 +/- 1333 ml for chronic, and 2947 +/- 2395 ml for ruptured aneurysmal patients (P < 0.010). Thirty-day mortality was 9/100 (9%) for all, 3/53 (6%) for chronic, and 5/33 (15%) for ruptured aneurysmal patients (NS). Parapareses/plegias occurred in 9/100 (9%) of all, 6/53 (11%) of chronic, and 3/33 (9%) of ruptured, aneurysmal patients (NS). Stepwise regression analysis identified aortic cross-clamp time as a predictor of early mortality (P = 0.002) and parapareses and paraplegias (P = 0.001). Age (P = 0.001), extent of repair (P = 0.008) and preoperative hematocrit (P = 0.001) were predictors for homologous transfusion requirements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Emergency repair of ruptured descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms can be achieved with acceptable results.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Cardiovascular Surgery CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: von Segesser
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Genoni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Künzli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lachat
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Niederhäuser
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schönbeck
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turina
mesh_terms: D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000601:surgery; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery*; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000601:surgery*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000601:surgery; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D004630:Emergencies; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome