title: Extended replacement of aortic arch aneurysms through left posterolateral thoracotomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present our experience of total aortic arch replacement through a left posterolateral thoracotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen patients (13 males; mean age 62.1+/-11.3 years) with extended thoracic aortic aneurysms, including those in the thoracoabdominal aorta, underwent replacement through a left posterolateral thoracotomy. The pathology of the diseased aorta was non-dissecting aneurysm due to aortitis in 1 patient and aortic dissection in 15 patients (acute type A: 1, chronic type A: 12, chronic type B: 2). In a prior operation, the patient with aortitis had undergone the Bentall procedure with endovascular stenting of the brachiocephalic artery, and among the other 15 patients, one previously had endovascular stenting for the aortic arch and 12 had hemi-arch replacement for acute type A dissection. Extension of arch replacement was the aortic arch and descending aorta in eight patients, the ascending arch and descending aorta in five patients and the descending arch, and thoracoabdominal aorta in three patients. Additional retroperitoneal dissection was required for the repair of a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One patient died of traumatic cerebral hemorrhage on day 145 (hospital mortality 6.3%). Average duration of ventilation support was 19.4+/-17.0h and length of ICU stay was 3.6+/-1.6 days. Actuarial survival at 2 years after the operations was 67.7%. However, no aortic-related mortality was observed during follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early results of extended aortic arch replacement through a left posterolateral thoracotomy were satisfactory in selected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Munakata
authors.forename: Masamichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsumori
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Tadaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maehara
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome