Ourania Preventza1, Jane L Liao2, Jacqueline K Olive2, Katherine Simpson2, Andre C Critsinelis3, Matt D Price4, Marianne Galati5, Lorraine D Cornwell6, Vicente Orozco-Sevilla7, Shuab Omer6, Ernesto Jimenez6, Scott A LeMaire8, Joseph S Coselli7. 1. Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Tex. Electronic address: preventz@bcm.edu. 2. Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex. 3. Division of Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Circulatory Support, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex. 4. Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; Office of Surgical Research, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex. 5. Texas Medical Center Library, Houston, Tex. 6. Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Tex. 7. Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Tex. 8. Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Tex; Office of Surgical Research, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The frozen elephant trunk technique's safety regarding spinal cord ischemia has been questioned. We used a meta-analysis to determine the rates of adverse neurologic events and mortality. METHODS: We searched PubMed/Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane databases (inception to April 2018) to identify studies of neurologic events after the frozen elephant trunk procedure. Separate meta-analyses were conducted with random-effects models to assess frozen elephant trunk associations with spinal cord ischemia, stroke, operative mortality, and all adverse events combined. Subgroup analyses compared outcomes in patients with acute versus nonacute type A dissection and aneurysm and with different extents of coverage. RESULTS: Thirty-five studies (total N = 3154) met inclusion criteria. The pooled rates of the outcomes of interest were 4.7% (95% confidence interval, 3.5-6.2) for spinal cord ischemia, 7.6% (95% confidence interval, 5.0-11.5) for stroke, and 8.8% (95% confidence interval, 7.0-10.9) for operative mortality. The spinal cord ischemia event rate was higher with stent length 15 cm or greater or coverage to T8 or beyond than with stent length of 10 cm (11.6% vs 2.5%, P < .001). Adverse event rates in patients with acute type A aortic dissection versus nonacute dissection or aneurysm were as follows: mortality 9.2% versus 7.6% (P = .46), stroke 9.3% versus 6.6% (P = .51), and overall adverse events 22.0% versus 16.5% (P = .41). CONCLUSIONS: As the frozen elephant trunk procedure becomes more popular, accurate data regarding outcomes are vital. We associated the frozen elephant trunk technique with (nonsignificantly) more adverse events overall in acute type A dissection cases. Stent length of 10 cm was associated with significantly less risk of spinal cord ischemia. Using a stent 15 cm or greater or coverage extending to T8 or farther should be avoided.
OBJECTIVE: The frozen elephant trunk technique's safety regarding spinal cord ischemia has been questioned. We used a meta-analysis to determine the rates of adverse neurologic events and mortality. METHODS: We searched PubMed/Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane databases (inception to April 2018) to identify studies of neurologic events after the frozen elephant trunk procedure. Separate meta-analyses were conducted with random-effects models to assess frozen elephant trunk associations with spinal cord ischemia, stroke, operative mortality, and all adverse events combined. Subgroup analyses compared outcomes in patients with acute versus nonacute type A dissection and aneurysm and with different extents of coverage. RESULTS: Thirty-five studies (total N = 3154) met inclusion criteria. The pooled rates of the outcomes of interest were 4.7% (95% confidence interval, 3.5-6.2) for spinal cord ischemia, 7.6% (95% confidence interval, 5.0-11.5) for stroke, and 8.8% (95% confidence interval, 7.0-10.9) for operative mortality. The spinal cord ischemia event rate was higher with stent length 15 cm or greater or coverage to T8 or beyond than with stent length of 10 cm (11.6% vs 2.5%, P < .001). Adverse event rates in patients with acute type A aortic dissection versus nonacute dissection or aneurysm were as follows: mortality 9.2% versus 7.6% (P = .46), stroke 9.3% versus 6.6% (P = .51), and overall adverse events 22.0% versus 16.5% (P = .41). CONCLUSIONS: As the frozen elephant trunk procedure becomes more popular, accurate data regarding outcomes are vital. We associated the frozen elephant trunk technique with (nonsignificantly) more adverse events overall in acute type A dissection cases. Stent length of 10 cm was associated with significantly less risk of spinal cord ischemia. Using a stent 15 cm or greater or coverage extending to T8 or farther should be avoided.
Authors: Konstantinos Tsagakis; Davide Pacini; Martin Grabenwöger; Michael A Borger; Nora Goebel; Wolfgang Hemmer; Alvaro Laranjeira Santos; Thanos Sioris; Kazimierz Widenka; Petar Risteski; Jorge Mascaro; Igor Rudez; Andreas Zierer; Carlos A Mestres; Arjang Ruhparwar; Roberto Di Bartolomeo; Heinz Jakob Journal: Ann Cardiothorac Surg Date: 2020-05