Aortic arch replacement with moderate hyperthomia and a modified 3-pump circuit.

A strategy employing moderate hypothermia for replacement of the aortic arch is proposed to avoid the complications of profound hypothermic circulatory arrest. Two patients underwent complete replacement of the aortic arch using three pumps (Figure 1a - one to perfuse the brain, one for the thoracoabdominal aorta and the third for the heart). There were no complications and the patients were extubated uneventfully. The method preserves autoregulation of cerebral blood flow without high vascular resistances.