Analysis of Ascending and Transverse Aortic Arch Repair in Octogenarians

The creation and validation of predictive models to assess the risk of unfavorable outcomes following hybrid total arch repair for Stanford type A aortic dissection

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to develop and validate a nomogram for the individualized prediction of adverse events in patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD) undergoing hybrid total aortic arch repair.

METHODS

From April 2019 to April 2022, we conducted a comprehensive review of the medical records of Stanford type A aortic dissection patients who underwent hybrid total aortic arch repair surgery at our hospital. Patients were separated into two groups based on whether or not a composite adverse event occurred following surgery. Using univariate and multivariate analyses of logistic regression, the prediction model was created. Construct risk prediction models utilizing nomograms and evaluate their precision, discrimination, and clinical utility.

RESULTS

Age, platelets, serum blood urea nitrogen, and ascending aortic diameter were the variables included in the nomogram by univariate and multivariate analysis. The risk model performed well in internal validation, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.829. The calibration curve demonstrated good agreement between predicted and actual probabilities (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, P = 0.22). Clinical decision analysis curves demonstrate predictive nomograms' clinical utility.

CONCLUSION

This study created and validated a nomogram for predicting the risk of composite endpoint events in TAAD patients undergoing hybrid total aortic arch repair. The nomogram can help determine the severity of a patient's condition and provide a more personalized diagnosis and treatment.

Elective Ascending Aortic Aneurysm Surgery in the Elderly

BACKGROUND

No clear guidelines exist for performing preventive surgery for ascending aortic (AA) aneurysm in elderly patients. This study aims to provide insights by: (1) evaluating patient and procedural characteristics and (2) comparing early outcomes and long-term mortality after surgery between elderly and non-elderly patients.

METHODS

A multicenter retrospective observational cohort-study was performed. Data was collected on patients who underwent elective AA surgery in three institutions (2006-2017). Clinical presentation, outcomes, and mortality were compared between elderly (≥70 years) and non-elderly patients.

RESULTS

In total, 724 non-elderly and 231 elderly patients were operated upon. Elderly patients had larger aortic diameters (57.0 mm (IQR 53-63) vs. 53.0 mm (IQR 49-58), p < 0.001) and more cardiovascular risk factors at the time of surgery than non-elderly patients. Elderly females had significantly larger aortic diameters than elderly males (59.5 mm (55-65) vs. 56.0 mm (51-60), p < 0.001). Short-term mortality was comparable between elderly and non-elderly patients (3.0% vs. 1.5%, p = 0.16). Five-year survival was 93.9% in non-elderly patients and 81.4% in elderly patients (p < 0.001), which are both lower than that of the age-matched general Dutch population.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that in elderly patients, a higher threshold exists to undergo surgery, especially in elderly females. Despite these differences, short-term outcomes were comparable between 'relatively healthy' elderly and non-elderly patients.

Gender-affirming hormone therapy, mental health, and surgical considerations for aging transgender and gender diverse adults

As the transgender and gender diverse (TGD) population ages, more transfeminine and transmasculine individuals present to clinic to initiate or continue their gender-affirming care at older ages. Currently available guidelines on gender-affirming care are excellent resources for the provision of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), primary care, surgery, and mental health care but are limited in their scope as to whether recommendations require tailoring to older TGD adults. Data that inform guideline-recommended management considerations, while informative and increasingly evidence-based, mainly come from studies of younger TGD populations. Whether results from these studies, and therefore recommendations, can or should be extrapolated to aging TGD adults remains to be determined. In this perspective review, we acknowledge the lack of data in older TGD adults and discuss considerations for evaluating cardiovascular disease, hormone-sensitive cancers, bone health and cognitive health, gender-affirming surgery, and mental health in the older TGD population on GAHT.

Parallel grafts and physician modified endografts for endovascular repair of the aortic arch

Aortic arch aneurysms are a challenging clinical problem especially in high-risk patients. Open aortic arch replacement, even in the best of centers, carries significant risk of stroke or death in this high-risk population. Many high-risk patients are deemed inoperable and not offered repair. Branched and fenestrated thoracic endografts are currently undergoing clinical trials in the United States but are not yet commercially available. Many elderly and frail patients have significant brachiocephalic occlusive disease or anatomy excluding them for consideration for such clinical trials. These patients also present with acute aortic syndromes requiring urgent or emergent repair and are unable to participate in clinical trials due to the time required to have such devices available. Alternative endovascular therapies, including parallel stent grafts (including Chimneys, Snorkels and Periscopes) and physician modified thoracic endografts, have been used to treat such high-risk patients combined with commercially available thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) devices. This paper aims to review the techniques and current reported outcomes from parallel stent grafts and physician modified devices used to treat high risk patients undergoing repair for aortic arch pathologies.

Comparison of Prognosis Between Hybrid Debranching Surgery and Total Open Arch Replacement With Frozen Elephant Trunk for Type A Acute Aortic Syndrome Patients

Background: It is unclear whether the total arch replacement (TAR) combined with frozen elephant trunk (FET) implantation and hybrid debranching surgery have a difference in the prognosis of patients with type A acute aortic syndrome (AAS). We attempted to compare the short-term and long-term prognosis of total arch replacement (TAR) combined with frozen elephant trunk (FET) implantation and hybrid debranching surgery in patients with type A acute aortic syndrome (AAS).

Methods: From January 2014 to September 2020, a total of 518 patients who underwent TAR with FET surgery and 31 patients who underwent hybrid surgery were included. We analyzed the post-operative mortality and morbidity of complications of the two surgical methods, and we determined 67 patients for subgroup analysis through a 1:2 propensity score match (PSM). We identified risk factors for patient mortality and post-operative neurological complications through multivariate regression analysis.

Results: Compared with the TAR with FET group, hybrid surgery could reduce aortic cross-clamp time, reduce intraoperative blood loss and prevent some patients from cardiopulmonary bypass. There was no significant difference in 30-day mortality between the TAR with FET group and the hybrid surgery group (10.6 vs. 9.7%). However, hybrid surgery had increased the incidence of permanent neurological complications in patients (95%CI: 4.7–35.7%, P = 0.001), especially post-operative cerebral infarction (P < 0.001). During the average follow-up period of 31.6 months, there was no significant difference in the 1-year survival rate and 3-year survival rate between the TAR with FET group and the hybrid surgery group (P = 0.811), but hybrid surgery increased the incidence of long-term neurological complications (P < 0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, surgical methods were not a risk factor for post-operative deaths, but hybrid surgery was a risk factor for post-operative neurological complications (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Hybrid surgery is an acceptable treatment for AAS, and its post-operative mortality is similar to FET. But hybrid surgery may increase the risk of permanent neurological complications after surgery, and this risk must be carefully considered when choosing hybrid surgery.

Current Controversies in Large-Vessel Inflammatory Vasculitis and Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Disease

Large-vessel vasculitis encompasses the spectrum of vasculitides, which pathologically cause chronic granulomatous inflammatory changes, primarily in the aorta and its major branches. These patients are at risk of developing life-threatening aortic lesions that, without recognition and prompt treatment, can cause detrimental effects. Many provocative issues surrounding large-vessel vasculitis and its surgical treatment still remain, spanning from recognition to management. In this review, we discuss the main large-vessel vasculitides, Takayasu's arteritis and giant cell arteritis. We include the key points and current controversies surrounding diagnostic imaging, timing of interventions, and patient outcomes.

Replacing the ascending aorta in the elderly: do or do not

Advanced age is a proven independent factor for perioperative morbidity and mortality in all forms of aortic surgery and forms an important variable in most available risk scores. Improvements in selection and perioperative management of high-risk elderly cohorts have reduced the incidence of adverse outcomes. Concerns remain however in the surgical and anesthesiology community that exposing elderly frail patients to ascending aortic surgery is associated with significant risk. As with many clinical scenarios, individualization of care for each patient is of paramount importance. With advances in our understanding of perioperative and intraoperative care, age should no longer be considered in isolation as a contraindication to ascending aortic surgery.

Hybrid Repair of Aortic Arch Aneurysms with Endografting of the Ascending Aorta

BACKGROUND

Different "hybrid" techniques that combine open debranching of the supra-aortic vessels with endografting of the aortic arch have emerged as alternatives to the open arch repair in high-risk patients. This study aims to review the early and mid-term results of single-stage hybrid arch repair with ascending aorta stent graft deployment for aortic arch aneurysms and dissections.

METHODS

Between June 2006 and May 2015, five consecutive patients, with an age range of 54-78 years, with complex aortic arch diseases, were treated with a hybrid approach in which the endograft had a proximal landing zone in the ascending aorta. Indications included: acute and chronic type A aortic dissections and three arch aneurysms associated with distal aortic pathology. Length of postoperative clinical and imaging follow-up ranged from 10 to 121 months and was completed in all patients.

RESULTS

Technical success of the endografting was achieved in all cases. There was one in-hospital mortality secondary to pulmonary embolism, one case of retrograde type A aortic dissection (RTAD) detected before discharge and one case of late type Ib endoleak that required an endografting procedure. No postoperative stroke or transient or permanent spinal cord ischemia occurred.

CONCLUSION

Hybrid arch repair with endograft landing in zone 0 may decrease mortality and morbidity in high-risk patients. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12735 (J Card Surg 2016;31:341-347).

Optimal Preoperative Evaluation and Perioperative Care of the Geriatric Patient: A Surgeon's Perspective

The elderly preoperative patient benefits from an assessment that includes more than a routine physical examination and electrocardiogram. Such an assessment includes domains likely to affect the elderly: cognition, functionality, frailty, polypharmacy, nutrition, and social support. This fosters decisions based on functional age rather than chronologic age and on each patient as an individual. One such assessment is that promulgated by the American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program/American Geriatrics Society Best Practice Guidelines. We should not miss any opportunity to improve results in this growing population of surgical patients.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection

Aortic dissection is the most devastating complication of thoracic aortic disease. In the more than 250 years since thoracic aortic dissection was first described, much has been learned about diseases of the thoracic aorta. In this review, we describe normal thoracic aortic size; risk factors for dissection, including genetic and inflammatory conditions; the underpinnings of genetic diseases associated with aneurysm and dissection, including Marfan syndrome and the role of transforming growth factor beta signaling; data on the role for medical therapies in aneurysmal disease, including beta-blockers, angiotensin receptor blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors; prophylactic surgery for aneurysm; surgical techniques for the aortic root; and surgical and endovascular management of aneurysm and dissection for different aortic segments.

Clinical dilemma in the surgical treatment of organ malperfusion caused by acute type A aortic dissection

The malperfusion syndrome associated with acute aortic dissection draws attention because the clinical picture is very dramatic, and patients with malperfusion have poorer clinical outcomes. To improve surgical outcomes, the ischemic damages associated with organ malperfusion should be minimized by restoring perfusion as early as possible, which occasionally can hardly coexist with central repair. This paper reviews the current evidence, problems, and dilemma related to the diagnosis and treatment of the malperfusion syndrome caused by acute type A aortic dissection.

Thoracic aortic aneurysms in octogenarians: the results of open surgical repair using hypothermic circulatory arrest with antegrade selective cerebral perfusion

OBJECTIVE

Although recent progress has expanded the indications for thoracic aortic surgery to include elderly patients, the procedure remains extremely invasive. We performed a chart review to determine the early and late outcomes of thoracic aortic surgery using hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) and antegrade selective cerebral perfusion (ASCP) in octogenarians.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Of 79 patients who underwent surgery for thoracic aortic aneurysms from April 2007 through December 2012, 8 patients 80 years or older were selected for analysis. Mean age at the time of surgery was 84.3±1.39 years. The diagnoses were aortic dissection in 5 patients and degenerative thoracic aneurysm in 3 patients. All patients underwent surgery with HCA. The lowest body temperature was 25℃ ASCP was used as an additional brain-protection technique. Emergency operations were performed in 5 patients (62.5%).

RESULTS

The mean duration of HCA was 60.4±19.7 minutes, that of aortic cross-clamping time was 143.0±30.4 minutes, and mean pump time was 207.8±44.4 minutes. The hospital mortality rate was 0%. Major postoperative complications occurred in 3 (37.5%) patients: stroke, temporary neurologic dysfunction, and paraparesis in 1 patient each. No patients required temporary dialysis for new-onset renal dysfunction. There were no deaths during the 65-month follow-up period.

CONCLUSION

The early and late outcomes after thoracic aortic surgery at our hospital using HCA with ASCP in octogenarians are acceptable. The operations are performed with an acceptable operative risk, even under emergency situations, including acute aortic dissection.

Outcomes in the current surgical era following operative repair of acute Type A aortic dissection in the elderly: a single-institutional experience

OBJECTIVES

We reviewed our single-centre experience with emergent operative repair of Stanford Type A aortic dissections, with particular attention to outcomes in the elderly.

METHODS

Consecutive adult patients undergoing emergent operative repair of acute Type A aortic dissections between February 2004 and December 2011 at a single institution were identified. Patients were stratified into elderly (≥ 70 years) and control cohorts (<70 years). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate survival.

RESULTS

A total of 117 patients undergoing emergent repair of Type A aortic dissection were identified during the study period, including 31 (26.5%) elderly and 86 (73.5%) control patients. The mean age in the elderly cohort was 78.0 ± 4.7 years, with 41.9% (13 of 31) being 80 years or older. The elderly and control groups were well matched with regard to preoperative comorbidities (each P>0.05) and the presence of malperfusion at presentation (elderly: 19.4 vs controls: 27.9%, P = 0.35). The most common site of tear involved the proximal ascending aorta (elderly: 83.9 vs controls: 84.9%), with fewer cases affecting the aortic arch (12.9 vs 14.0%; P = 0.75). Operative data, including cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp time, concomitant aortic valve procedures and arch replacement were also similar between cohorts. Fewer elderly patients underwent hypothermic circulatory arrest (67.7 vs 90.7%, P = 0.002). Overall survival to discharge was 87.2% (n = 102), with no difference in the elderly (83.9%; n = 26) vs controls (88.4%; n = 76; P = 0.52). The 30-day (elderly: 82.8 vs controls: 86.2%), 90-day (elderly: 79.0 vs controls: 84.8%) and 1-year (elderly: 75.4 vs controls: 84.8%) survivals were also comparable.

CONCLUSIONS

Excellent operative outcomes can be achieved in elderly patients undergoing emergent repair of Type A aortic dissections. Advanced patient age should therefore not serve as an absolute contraindication to operative repair in this high-risk cohort.

Deployment of proximal thoracic endograft in zone 0 of the ascending aorta: treatment options and early outcomes for aortic arch aneurysms in a high-risk population

OBJECTIVES

Open repair of aortic arch aneurysms can be technically challenging. Hybrid approaches have been developed to facilitate arch repairs and improve their clinical outcomes in high-risk patients. We examined treatment options and early outcomes in patients whose thoracic endografts were deployed to include Zone 0.

METHODS

Between 2005 and 2011, a hybrid approach in which the endograft was deployed in the ascending aorta was used in 29 patients (median age 67 years, range 32-85 years). The indication for surgery was saccular arch aneurysm in 11 patients (37.9%), fusiform arch aneurysm with or without involvement of the proximal descending aorta in 10 (34.5%), proximal Type I endoleak after endovascular repair of the descending aorta in 5 (17.2%), chronic Type III (Type B) aortic dissection with aneurysmal arch formation in 2 (6.9%) and acute Type I (Type A) dissection with prior repair of an extent I thoracoabdominal aneurysm in 1 (3.4%). Six patients (20.7%) had previously undergone a sternotomy. One-, two- or three-branch aortobrachiocephalic de-branching, with or without concomitant heart surgery, was performed in 28 patients and extra-anatomic bypass in 1.

RESULTS

Two patients (6.9%) died during postoperative hospitalization. Overall survival during the follow-up period (median 411 days) was 79.3%. Five neurological events occurred: one extensive stroke, two minor strokes (10.3%) and two episodes of paraparesis (6.9%), one with partial recovery and one with full recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

The hybrid approach enables the treatment of aortic arch disease in high-risk individuals. Long-term follow-up data are needed.

Evidence, lack of evidence, controversy, and debate in the provision and performance of the surgery of acute type A aortic dissection

Acute type A aortic dissection is a lethal condition requiring emergency surgery. It has diverse presentations, and the diagnosis can be missed or delayed. Once diagnosed, decisions with regard to initial management, transfer, appropriateness of surgery, timing of operation, and intervention for malperfusion complications are necessary. The goals of surgery are to save life by prevention of pericardial tamponade or intra-pericardial aortic rupture, to resect the primary entry tear, to correct or prevent any malperfusion and aortic valve regurgitation, and if possible to prevent late dissection-related complications in the proximal and downstream aorta. No randomized trials of treatment or techniques have ever been performed, and novel therapies-particularly with regard to extent of surgery-are being devised and implemented, but their role needs to be defined. Overall, except in highly specialized centers, surgical outcomes might be static, and there is abundant room for improvement. By highlighting difficulties and controversies in diagnosis, patient selection, and surgical therapy, our over-arching goal should be to enfranchise more patients for treatment and improve surgical outcomes.

Factors influencing permanent neurologic dysfunction and mortality after total arch replacement with separate arch vessel grafting using selective cerebral perfusion

OBJECTIVES

The present study was undertaken to identify risk factors for permanent neurological dysfunction (PND) and in-hospital mortality after total aortic arch replacement (TAR) with separate arch vessel grafting using selective cerebral perfusion (SCP) and hypothermic circulatory arrest.

METHODS

Between 1998 and 2008, we preformed a TAR on 143 consecutive patients in two centers by identical methods. Of these, 19 (13.3%) were emergency operations, and 46 (32.2%) were open stent-graft placements. Statistical analysis was performed to determine risk factors for PND and mortality, and furthermore, the survival rate was analyzed.

RESULTS

The in-hospital mortality rate was 4.9%, with chronic renal failure (p = 0.0013, odds ratio 10.0) as a significant risk factor. Nine patients (6.3%) had PND, with significant risk factors identified as (1) the presence of an old cerebral or silent lacunar infarction on preoperative imaging methods (p = 0.0458, odds ratio 8.0) and (2) duration of SCP (p = 0.0026, odds ratio 1.036). Long-term survival was the same in patients with or without PND.

CONCLUSION

The enhanced vulnerability of the brain in patients with a pre-existing old cerebral infarction or silent lacunar infarction is reflected by a high incidence of PND. Chronic renal failure had an impact on in-hospital mortality.

Hybrid aortic arch repair for a ruptured and infected penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer of the aortic arch

Aortic arch rupture is a life-threatening emergency. Conventional open surgical repair carries a high mortality and morbidity. We report a case of an elderly patient who suffered from a ruptured and infected penetrating ulcer of the aortic arch. A hybrid operation was performed, consisting of a right-to-left carotid bypass and transposition of the left subclavian artery into the left common carotid artery followed by endovascular repair of the aortic arch. Antibiotic therapy, based on the results of culture and sensitivity tests for Staphylococcus aureus, was administered for 6 months. The patient recovered uneventfully and remains asymptomatic 16 months after the procedure. However, long-term follow-up is mandatory to determine the efficacy and the durability of this technique.

Acute type A aortic dissection: surgical intervention for all: PRO

Acute aortic dissection remains the most common of all aortic catastrophes and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Urgent surgical intervention should be considered in all patients with acute type A aortic dissection. Immediate repair is performed for those who are hypotensive due to rupture and tamponade and who exhibit malperfusion of the coronary, cerebrovascular, visceral, or peripheral arterial systems. Selective delayed management with eventual repair may be assumed in patients with type A intramural hematoma and in those with coma (potential neurologic devastation), assuming that neurologic status improves. Urgent repair should not be precluded in patients presenting with active stroke, older age, and previous cardiac surgery. Ultimately, each patient should be individualized and the decision to intervene left to the surgeon.