Distal Arch Aneurysm Repair Using Left Subclavian Artery Transposition With Stented Elephant Trunk in the Hybrid Repair Era

Comparison of Open Repair vs. the One-Stage Hybrid Extra-Anatomic Technique for Distal Aortic Arch Disease Treatment: Mid-term Outcomes With a Risk-Adjusted Analysis

Objective: This study aims to compare the short- and mid-term outcomes of the stented elephant trunk (SET) procedure combined with supra-arch branch reconstruction and one-stage hybrid arch repair combined thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with extra-anatomic bypass in the management of distal arch disease.

Methods: From January 2009 to January 2019, 97 patients underwent one-stage hybrid arch repair combined with TEVAR with extra-anatomic bypass (HAR group), and 206 patients underwent the SET procedure with supra-arch branch reconstruction (SET group). We used inverse-probability-of treatment weighting (IPTW) to adjust baseline differences.

Results: Before IPTW adjustment, there was no significant difference in operative mortality between the two groups (5.2 vs. 1.0%, P = 0.064). The incidences of stroke, spinal cord injury (SCI), acute kidney injury (AKI), and endoleak also showed no significant differences (4.1 vs. 0.5%, P = 0.066; 2.1 vs. 1.5%, P = 1.000; 0 vs. 1.0%, P = 0.831; 6.2 vs. 1.9%, P = 0.113, respectively). After IPTW adjustment, the incidences of stroke, SCI, and AKI showed no significant differences between the two groups (1.8 vs. 1.1%, P = 0.138; 0.8 vs. 1.6%, P = 0.448; and 0 vs. 0.7%, P = 0.148, respectively). However, the HAR group tended to have higher operative mortality and incidence of endoleak than the SET group (12.4 vs. 1.3%, P = 0.01; 9.9 vs. 1.8%, P = 0.031, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, open repair decreased the risks of endoleak (odds ratio [OR], 0.171, 95% CI, 0.060–0.401; P < 0.001) and operative mortality (OR, 0.093, 95% CI, 0.027–0.238; P < 0.001). The overall survival and event-free survival of the HAR group were significantly lower than those of the SET group (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: One-stage hybrid arch repair combined TEVAR with extra-anatomic bypass and the SET procedure with supra-arch branch reconstruction both provided good postoperative treatment outcomes for distal arch disease. However, hybrid arch repair increased the risks of endoleak and operative mortality. The SET procedure provided better mid-term survival than hybrid arch repair without increasing operative mortality. Carefully selecting the indications for the procedure, while receiving close long-term follow-up, may improve the survival rate of patients undergoing hybrid arch repair.

Analysis of clinical outcomes of one-staged hybrid procedure without thoracotomy for aorta lesion involving distal aortic arch

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of one-staged hybrid procedure for aortic lesions involving the distal aortic arch.

METHODS

We retrospectively studied 99 consecutive patients who underwent the hybrid procedure (thoracic endovascular aortic repair combined with supra-arch branch vessel bypass) in our center between April 2009 and January 2020 for lesions involving the distal aortic arch.

RESULTS

Median age was 64.0 (57.0-69.0) years, and 83 (83.8%) patients were male. There were five deaths in the perioperative period (three due to cerebral infarction and two due to intimal rupture). During the median follow-up of 41.0 months, 20 patients died, three had endoleak, one had a newly formed intimal tear, and two had femoral artery pseudoaneurysm. The 5- and 10-year survival rates of the total population were 72.2% and 48.8%, respectively. Additionally, there was no difference in the 5-year survival rate among the four groups according to different pathologies (Type B aortic dissection, aortic ulcer, aortic aneurysm, aortic pseudoaneurysm: 74.7%, 78.2%, 61.1%, and 75.5%, respectively, p = .58). Furthermore, there was no difference in the 5- and 10-year survival rates between the two groups according to the different bypass methods (right axillary artery [RAA]-left axillary artery [LAA] vs. RAA-LAA-left common carotid artery: 74.1% vs. 68.9%, p = .38).

CONCLUSIONS

Although one-staged hybrid procedure has fewer complications in high-risk patients with lesions involving the distal aortic arch, the long-term survival rate is not optimistic.

A New Aortic Arch Inclusion Technique with Frozen Elephant Trunk for Aortic Arch Aneurysm Treatment

Various surgical techniques have been proposed for treating aortic arch aneurysm (AAA); however, the optimal treatment has not been well defined. This study introduces a new aortic arch inclusion technique with frozen elephant trunk (FET) for AAA treatment.A retrospective analysis was performed among 22 patients for AAA surgical treatment between March 2010 and March 2019. Patients were classified into Z1, Z2, and Z3 groups based on the origins of aneurysms. A stent graft with a 10 cm stented graft and 5-9 cm proximal vascular prosthesis was released into the descending thoracic aorta as FET through an incision in the aortic arch. The proximal vascular prosthesis was retracted into the aortic arch, trimmed to expose the orifices of the brachiocephalic vessels, and sutured inside the aortic arch using the inclusion technique. The proximal sealing location of the vascular graft was tailored to cover the origins of aneurysms.There was no 30-day mortality. No patient had postoperative stroke or paraplegia. Complete aneurysm thrombosis was achieved in all patients. One patient died of severe respiratory tract stenosis 3 months postoperatively. All other 21 patients were alive during 53.3 ± 36.5-month follow-up. Computed tomography angiography was obtained in 15 patients during follow-up. Endoleak was observed in one patient, and the other 14 patients were free from aneurysm-related or graft-related complications during follow-up.The aortic arch inclusion technique with FET provides an alternative technique in treating AAA with satisfactory mid-term follow-up results. A larger patient population with long-term follow-up results is warranted.

Suturing Fenestration of the Left Subclavian Artery Orifice in Frozen Elephant Trunk Procedure

The frozen elephant trunk (FET) procedure enables easier replacement of the entire aortic arch because it does not require reaching the distal part of the left subclavian artery (LSCA). However, it requires additional management for reconstruction of the LSCA, which is associated with bleeding events. However, the fenestrated FET technique confers a risk of endoleakage from the fenestration site. We report our unique novel technique in which the proximal side of the hybrid stent graft is cut into V-shape around the subclavian artery and sutured continuously around the orifice of the subclavian artery during aortic stump fixation.

Repair of Type Ia Endoleaks Involving the Distal Arch Using Left Subclavian Artery-Left Common Carotid Artery Transposition with a Stented Elephant Trunk

BACKGROUND

Type Ia endoleaks are common after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). However, the repair of type Ia endoleaks involving the distal arch is challenging because of the presence of the interventional endografts, potential damage to the aortic arch vessels, and the location and size of the aneurysmal body. We retrospectively reviewed our experience of the surgical treatment of type Ia endoleaks with distal arch involvement using left subclavian artery (LSCA)-left common carotid artery (LCCA) transposition with a stented elephant trunk.

METHODS

Sixteen patients (male = 16; mean age, 47 ± 9 years, range 31-63 years) with type Ia endoleaks involving the distal arch underwent LSCA-LCCA transposition with a stented elephant trunk from July 2010 to July 2018. TEVAR failure occurred in 12 patients, re-TEVAR was performed in two patients, hybrid aortic arch repair in one patient, and the chimney technique in one patient.

RESULTS

There were no in-hospital deaths. Fourteen patients required mechanical ventilation for <24 h and one for <48 h. One patient required reintubation after mechanical ventilation for 19 h and continuous renal replacement therapy because of renal failure. One patient received pericardial drainage, and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury occurred in one patient. Three patients died during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

The LSCA-LCCA transposition with a stented elephant trunk can produce satisfactory results in patients with a type Ia endoleak involving the distal arch. Using this technique, it is possible to exclude the aneurysm sac distal to the LCCA origin and seclude the failed interventional endograft. These encouraging outcomes suggested that this technique could be a suitable surgical treatment for this type of lesion.