Evaluation of an aortic stent graft for use in surgery on esophageal cancer involving the thoracic aorta: experimental study.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate whether aortic stent grafting can be applied to the treatment of an esophageal cancer involving the thoracic aorta.


METHODS
The canine thoracic aorta was partially resected without aorta being clamped after emplacement of an endovascular stent graft. Study I; The aortic whole layer of 1 cm in length and 1/4 of the circumference was resected and was covered by a free fascia patch of the abdominal rectal muscle immediately after stent graft placement. Study II; The aortic adventitia and the outer half of the media of the same size was resected on day 3, 7, 14, 21, and on day 28, after the stent graft placement. The resected portion was covered by the free fascia patch in half experimental dogs, and was uncovered in the others. Study III; The aortic adventitia and the outer half of the media of 1 cm in length and 1/2 of the circumference was resected and was uncovered on day 7 after stent graft placement. Histological examinations were performed on day 28 and at one year after aortic resection.


RESULTS
The aortic wall could be resected in all cases with no complication, except in resection of 1/2 the circumference where the aorta had become narrow. There was no difference in healing of the resected portion of the aorta between with and without fascia covering.


CONCLUSIONS
An aortic endovascular stent graft could be applied to surgery for an esophageal cancer involving the aorta.
Sasahara
Hiroko
H
Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan.
Sueyoshi
Susumu
S
Tanaka
Toshiaki
T
Fujita
Hiromasa
H
Shirouzu
Kazuo
K
D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D004285:Dogs; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D023421:Models, Animal; D015607:Stents; D019043:Vascular Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods