Modified elephant trunk technique for distal reconstruction of ragged descending thoracic aorta.

We present a modified elephant trunk technique with a novel indication for aortic arch aneurysm with ragged, undilated descending thoracic aorta. Our modification is simple and effective for minimizing bleeding from the distal anastomosis and has the possibility of preventing distal embolization of atheromatous plaque by ensuring sufficient contact area between the graft and the aortic wall.