Surgery of the dissecting aneurysm involving a right aortic arch.

A dissecting aneurysm in association with a right aortic arch is extremely rare. However, a 50-year-old male was diagnosed as having a dissecting aneurysm (DeBakey IIIa) with a right aortic arch, right descending aorta and an aberrant retro-esophageal left subclavian artery. A graft replacement of the right descending aorta was successfully performed under right thoracotomy and partial cardiopulmonary bypass. Precise anatomical definition and proper surgical procedure permitted a successful surgical result.