Surgical management of distal arch aneurysm: another approach with improved results.
BACKGROUND
Surgical treatment for distal arch aneurysm carries the risk of stroke. Although left thoracotomy has been used for repair of distal arch aneurysm as a standard approach, we have performed total arch replacement under deep hypothermia with circulatory arrest through a midsternotomy for this subset of aneurysms.


METHODS
From January 1998 to February 2003, 119 patients underwent elective total arch replacement (mean age, 72.3 +/- 6.0 years) for distal arch aneurysm under deep hypothermia with circulatory arrest. Antegrade selective cerebral perfusion was used for brain protection. Arch vessels were independently reconstructed using quadrifurcated grafts. Concomitant procedures included tricuspid annuloplasty in 1 patient, aortic valve operations in 2, sinotubular junction plication in 6, and coronary artery grafting in 22.


RESULTS
The early mortality rate was 0.84% (1 of 119). The mean duration of circulatory arrest was 67.1 +/- 19.7 minutes. Perioperative stroke rate was 0.84% (1 of 119). This stroke occurred 9 days postoperatively in an 81-year-old man with a history of cerebral infarction. Other complications were reexploration for bleeding in 1 patient (0.84%) and respiratory failure in 6 (5.0%).


CONCLUSIONS
This operative approach for distal arch aneurysm featured a low mortality rate and low risk of perioperative stroke. Concomitant cardiac surgery could be performed routinely in standard fashion. Distal arch aneurysms that do not involve a large segment of the descending thoracic aorta can thus be repaired with low mortality and few cerebral complications through a midsternotomy.
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, National Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Japan. minatoya@hsp.ncvc.go.jp
Kenji
K
Minatoya
Hitoshi
H
Ogino
Hitoshi
H
Matsuda
Hiroaki
H
Sasaki
Toshikatsu
T
Yagihara
Soichiro
S
Kitamura
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods