Ascending aortic aneurysms. Review of 100 consecutive cases.

Aneurysms of the ascending aorta, if undiagnosed or untreated, may result in left ventricular failure from aortic valvular insufficiency. Aortic rupture, dissection, or compression of adjacent vital structures may also occur. The application of refined cardiopulmonary bypass devices, prosthetic heart valves, and synthetic grafts now allows successful surgical management of this disorder. This report presents our current diagnostic methods, surgical techniques, and the early and late results of 100 consecutive patients undergoing surgical treatment of aneurysms of the ascending aorta. There were 72 males and 28 females, ranging in age from 25 to 72 (ave 51.2) years. All patients had angiographic studies to demonstrate precisely the location of the aneurysm and the presence or absence of aortic valvular insufficiency. Sixty-three patients required concomitant aortic valve replacement, and the remaining 37 patients had only aneurysm resection and replacement. Pathological studies revealed 69 aneurysms were atherosclerotic, 22 were secondary to cystic medial necrosis, with the remaining 9 considered to be possibly leutic in origin. Despite the magnitude of the surgery and the advanced ages of some of these patients, the overall operative and hospital mortality rates were 4% and 9%. Survival rates by actuarial representation in 82 patients at 2, 4, 6, and 8 years were 82.9%, 78%, 70%, and 69.5%, respectively.