title: Surgical repair of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm involving the distal arch: open proximal anastomosis under deep hypothermia versus arch clamping technique.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgical repair of a descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (DTA/TAAA) involving the distal arch is challenging and requires either deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) or crossclamping of the distal arch. The aim of this study was to compare these 2 techniques in the treatment of DTA/TAAA involving the distal arch.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1994 to 2012, 298 patients underwent open repair of DTA/TAAA through a left thoracotomy. One hundred seventy-four patients with distal arch involvement who were suitable for either DHCA (n=81) or arch clamping (AC; n=93), were analyzed. In-hospital outcomes were compared using propensity scores and inverse-probability-of-treatment weighting adjustment to reduce treatment selection bias.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early mortality was 11.1% in the DHCA group and 8.6% in the AC group (P=.58). Major adverse outcomes included stroke in 16 patients (9.2%), low cardiac output syndrome in 15 (8.6%), paraplegia in 10 (5.7%), and multiorgan failure in 10 (5.7%). After adjustment, patients who underwent DHCA were at similar risk of death (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; P=.80) and permanent neurologic injury (OR, 0.95; P=.92) to those who underwent AC. Although prolonged ventilator support (>24 hours) was more frequent with DHCA than with AC (OR, 2.60; P=.003), DHCA showed a tendency to lower the risk of paraplegia (OR, 0.15; P=.057).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with AC, DHCA did not increase postoperative mortality and morbidity, except for prolonged ventilator support. However, DHCA may offer superior spinal cord protection to AC during repair of DTA/TAAA involving the distal arch.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Suk
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: jbkim1975@amc.seoul.kr.
authors.forename: Joon Bum
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Suk Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Choo
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Cheol Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D050792:Circulatory Arrest, Deep Hypothermia Induced / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D003250:Constriction; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D057216:Propensity Score; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013908:Thoracotomy; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome