Frozen elephant trunk in acute type A aortic dissection: surgical techniques and the extracorporeal circuit management

Total aortic arch replacement in acute type A aortic dissection - a single institutional experience

Aim

Total arch replacement in the presence of acute aortic dissections is one of the most challenging areas of aortic surgery. Data on outcome in the Indian scenario is sparse. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of arch replacements in a single tertiary care center.

Material and methods

In this single-center experience, 20 patients underwent total arch replacement between 2012 and 2022. Demographic, intraoperative, and postoperative data were abstracted from hospital records. Only patients with acute type A aortic dissection needing an arch repair were included. Patients with hemi-arch repairs, hybrid repairs, and those operated upon due to aneurysmal disease were excluded from the study. Comparison was made between survivors and non-survivors. Temporal trends for the procedure were assessed.

Results

The study included 20 patients who underwent total aortic arch replacement (TAR) during the study period (2012-2022). The mean age was 49.3 ± 12.5 years, and 15 (75%) of the patients were males. Seven (35%) patients were operated within 24 h of symptom onset. Permanent stroke was seen in 1 (5%) patient and temporary neurological dysfunction was observed in 1 (5%) patient. The re-exploration rate was 6 (30%) in the entire cohort and in-hospital mortality was 4 (20%). Follow-up was complete in 18 (90%) of the study population and 14 (87.5%) among survivors. There was one late death in our study which occurred after 46 months of the index operation. The overall mean survival was 76.1 months (95% CI: 49.86-102.43).

Conclusion

TAR can be performed both with acceptable mortality and morbidity in the presence of acute aortic dissections.

Surgical techniques in acute Type A aortic dissection: How we do it

Acute Type A aortic dissection (ATAAD), a surgical emergency, has high mortality and morbidity. More than half of the patients dies within 2 weeks and the 30-day mortality is 90%. Here we describe our technique of ATAAD repair.

Frozen elephant trunk in acute type A aortic dissections: frontiers and challenges

Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD), a surgical emergency, has high mortality and morbidity. More than half of the patients die within 2 weeks and the 30-day mortality is 90%. Frozen elephant trunk in ATAAD addresses the primary and secondary goals - resection of the primary tear in the ascending aorta and promoting remodelling in the downstream aorta. Though the literature supports this fact, in reality these literatures emerge from high-volume centres. But in the "real world" most of the ATAAD are operated on in the low-volume centres. Furthermore, in India, there are unique challenges including the financial burden, transport, emergent availability of the hybrid prosthesis and aortic supercentres.