title: Treatment of a persistent false lumen with aneurysm formation following surgical repair of type a dissection.
abstract: We describe the case of a 68-year-old man who developed aneurysmal dilatation of the proximal descending thoracic aorta 8 years after repair of a type A dissection. The aneurysm was due to an anastomotic leak at the distal end of the previous repair in the ascending aorta with antegrade perfusion of the false lumen. Surgical repair of the anastomotic leak partially obliterated the false lumen and computed tomography scan demonstrated thrombosis in a large proportion of the false lumen aneurysm. Follow-up with surveillance scans showed persistent filling of this aneurysm due to retrograde flow of blood within the false lumen. Coil embolization of the false lumen within the thoracic aorta was performed which successfully thrombosed the aneurysm with a reduction in diameter. Late aneurysm formation may complicate type A dissection repairs during follow-up due to a persistent false lumen, especially if there is an anastomotic leak. This case report describes a strategy to deal with this difficult clinical problem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA, Northern Ireland, UK. reubenj@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Reubendra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jeganathan
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: MacGowan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001027:Aortography; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D016122:Brachiocephalic Trunk / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001980:Bronchi / Q000098:blood supply; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D019233:Retreatment; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed