A method for descending thoracic aortic replacement retaining a posterior strip bearing intercostal vessels.
Operations for aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta are still fraught with danger. Spinal cord injury remains a major cause of morbidity. Many therapeutic strategies have been suggested to reduce the incidence of this devastating complication, including reimplantation of intercostal vessels. However, reimplantation of intercostal vessels, both individually or in groups, is time consuming and compounded by the absence of a reliable means of identifying which vessels actually supply the cord. We present a technique that allowed inclusion of all potentially important descending aortic branching vessels into the repair leading to a favorable outcome in a series of patients.
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Papworth Hospital, Papworth Everard, Cambridge, United Kingdom. jameschalstead@hotmail.com
James C
JC
Halstead
Max
M
Baghai
Eric
E
Lim
John J
JJ
Dunning
Stephen R
SR
Large
D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D013504:Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply