Total aortic arch replacement for thoracic aneurysm involving an isolated left vertebral artery.

We conducted 4 total aortic arch replacements in patients with an isolated left vertebral artery. In all 4, surgery was done using 4-branched arch grafts with moderately hypothermic selective cerebral perfusion and systemic circulatory arrest. All reconstructed isolated left vertebral arteries anastomosed to the native left subclavian artery or to the graft branch for this artery showed good patency. None of our patients had cerebral complications and all were discharged in good condition.