Jae Suk Yoo1, Joon Bum Kim2, Sung-Ho Jung1, Suk Jung Choo1, Cheol Hyun Chung1, Jae Won Lee1. 1. Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. 2. Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: jbkim1975@amc.seoul.kr.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Surgical repair of a descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (DTA/TAAA) involving the distal arch is challenging and requires either deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) or crossclamping of the distal arch. The aim of this study was to compare these 2 techniques in the treatment of DTA/TAAA involving the distal arch. METHODS: From 1994 to 2012, 298 patients underwent open repair of DTA/TAAA through a left thoracotomy. One hundred seventy-four patients with distal arch involvement who were suitable for either DHCA (n=81) or arch clamping (AC; n=93), were analyzed. In-hospital outcomes were compared using propensity scores and inverse-probability-of-treatment weighting adjustment to reduce treatment selection bias. RESULTS: Early mortality was 11.1% in the DHCA group and 8.6% in the AC group (P=.58). Major adverse outcomes included stroke in 16 patients (9.2%), low cardiac output syndrome in 15 (8.6%), paraplegia in 10 (5.7%), and multiorgan failure in 10 (5.7%). After adjustment, patients who underwent DHCA were at similar risk of death (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; P=.80) and permanent neurologic injury (OR, 0.95; P=.92) to those who underwent AC. Although prolonged ventilator support (>24 hours) was more frequent with DHCA than with AC (OR, 2.60; P=.003), DHCA showed a tendency to lower the risk of paraplegia (OR, 0.15; P=.057). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with AC, DHCA did not increase postoperative mortality and morbidity, except for prolonged ventilator support. However, DHCA may offer superior spinal cord protection to AC during repair of DTA/TAAA involving the distal arch.
BACKGROUND: Surgical repair of a descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (DTA/TAAA) involving the distal arch is challenging and requires either deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) or crossclamping of the distal arch. The aim of this study was to compare these 2 techniques in the treatment of DTA/TAAA involving the distal arch. METHODS: From 1994 to 2012, 298 patients underwent open repair of DTA/TAAA through a left thoracotomy. One hundred seventy-four patients with distal arch involvement who were suitable for either DHCA (n=81) or arch clamping (AC; n=93), were analyzed. In-hospital outcomes were compared using propensity scores and inverse-probability-of-treatment weighting adjustment to reduce treatment selection bias. RESULTS: Early mortality was 11.1% in the DHCA group and 8.6% in the AC group (P=.58). Major adverse outcomes included stroke in 16 patients (9.2%), low cardiac output syndrome in 15 (8.6%), paraplegia in 10 (5.7%), and multiorgan failure in 10 (5.7%). After adjustment, patients who underwent DHCA were at similar risk of death (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; P=.80) and permanent neurologic injury (OR, 0.95; P=.92) to those who underwent AC. Although prolonged ventilator support (>24 hours) was more frequent with DHCA than with AC (OR, 2.60; P=.003), DHCA showed a tendency to lower the risk of paraplegia (OR, 0.15; P=.057). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with AC, DHCA did not increase postoperative mortality and morbidity, except for prolonged ventilator support. However, DHCA may offer superior spinal cord protection to AC during repair of DTA/TAAA involving the distal arch.