title: Staged total abdominal debranching and thoracic endovascular aortic repair for thoracoabdominal aneurysm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) occur most commonly in elderly individuals, who are often suboptimal candidates for open repair because of significant comorbidities. The availability of a hybrid option, including open visceral debranching with endovascular aneurysm exclusion, may have advantages in these patients who are at high-risk for conventional repair. This report details the evolution of our technique and results with complete visceral debranching and endovascular aneurysm exclusion for TAAA repair in high-risk patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between March 2005 and June 2011, 47 patients (51% women) underwent extra-anatomic debranching of all visceral vessels, followed by aneurysm exclusion by endovascular means at a single institution. A median of four visceral vessels were bypassed. The debranching procedure was initially performed through a partial right medial visceral rotation approach, leaving the left kidney posterior in the first 22 patients, and in the last 25 by a direct anterior approach to the visceral vessels. The debranching and endovascular portions of the procedure were performed in a single operation in the initial 33 patients and as a staged procedure during a single hospital stay in the most recent 14.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median patient age was 71.0 ± 9.8 years. All had significant comorbidity and were considered suboptimal candidates for conventional repair: 55% had undergone previous aortic surgery, 40% were American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 4, and baseline serum creatinine was 1.5 ± 1.3 mg/dL. The 30-day/in-hospital rates of death, stroke, and permanent paraparesis/plegia were 8.5%, 0%, and 4.3%, respectively, but 0% in the most recent 14 patients undergoing staged repair. These patients had significantly shorter combined operative times (314 vs 373 minutes), decreased intraoperative red blood cell transfusions (350 vs 1400 mL), and were more likely to be extubated in the operating room (50% vs 12%) compared with patients undergoing simultaneous repair. Over a median follow-up of 19.3 ± 18.5 months, visceral graft patency was 97%; all occluded limbs were to renal vessels and clinically silent. There have been no type I or III endoleaks or reinterventions. Kaplan-Meier overall survival is 70.7% at 2 years and 57.9% at 5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hybrid TAAA repair through complete visceral debranching and endovascular aneurysm exclusion is a good option for elderly high-risk patients less suited to conventional repair in centers with the requisite surgical expertise with visceral revascularization. A staged approach to debranching and endovascular aneurysm exclusion during a single hospitalization appears to yield optimal results.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: G Chad
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Barfield
authors.forename: Asad A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Judson B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Maragatha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuchibhatla
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hanna
authors.forename: Nicholas D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: McCann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009657:North Carolina; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome