It is not just assisted circulation, hypothermic arrest, or clamp and sew

Hypothermic circulatory arrest versus aortic clamping in thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair

BACKGROUND

To compare perioperative and midterm outcomes in thoracic and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm (TAA and TAAA) repair using hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) or aortic clamping (AC) with mild hypothermia.

METHODS

From 2012 to 2021 there were 180 open repairs of a TAA or TAAA, of which 90 (50%) were done with HCA and 90 (50%) with aortic clamping with mild hypothermia. The indications for HCA were arch aneurysm, TAA from chronic aortic dissection, and inability to clamp the aorta for proximal anastomosis.

RESULTS

Compared to AC, the HCA group had less prior descending aorta replacement/repair (9.1% vs. 32%, p = 0.0001). Intraoperatively, the HCA group had more TAAs (70% vs. 20%, p < 0.0001) while the AC group had more TAAAs (80% vs. 30%, p < 0.0001). HCA group had longer cardiopulmonary bypass times (242 vs. 181 min, p < 0.0001) but shorter cross-clamp time (39 vs. 120 min, p < 0.0001) and lower temperatures (18°C vs. 34°C, p < 0.0001). Postoperatively, the HCA group had longer intubation times (31 vs. 26 h, p = 0.002), but all other postoperative outcomes including paralysis (2.2% vs. 8.9%, p = 0.08), and operative mortality (4.4% vs. 2.2%, p = 0.68) were similar between HCA and AC groups. Patient age was an independent risk factor for postoperative paralysis (OR 1.07, p = 0.03) while HCA was not significant (OR 0.37, p = 0.21). Five-year survival was similar between HCA and AC groups (85% vs. 80%, p = 0.36).

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative outcomes and midterm survival were acceptable in thoracic and thoracoabdominal aneurysm patients after HCA or AC. Both HCA and AC with mild hypothermia were valid approaches in TAA/A repair.

Successful management of traumatic giant pulmonary hematoma in poly-trauma patient

Traumatic pulmonary giant hematoma, resulting from blunt trauma, is a relatively rare event. Here, we report the rare case of a patient with a giant traumatic pulmonary hematoma that was associated with blunt trauma. A 50-year-old man was admitted to our medical center after a fall from a height of 5 m. He was diagnosed with pulmonary contusion, and tests showed a huge pulmonary hematoma of approximately 8.2 × 5.3 × 13.2 cm in the left lung field along with other significant injuries. Treatment comprised of aggressive coagulation management, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and pulmonary hygiene. The patient's symptoms gradually improved and magnetic resonance scan revealed that he did not develop an abscess formation. No complications were seen at the 6 months follow-up visit. If the above mentioned measures would have failed to control the bleeding or secondary infection, then emergency surgery would have been warranted. Awareness of this kind of injury and efforts to reduce infection are important to guide the giant traumatic pulmonary hematoma to the benign course.

Arteriogenesis of the Spinal Cord-The Network Challenge

Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) is a clinical complication following aortic repair that significantly impairs the quality and expectancy of life. Despite some strategies, like cerebrospinal fluid drainage, the occurrence of neurological symptoms, such as paraplegia and paraparesis, remains unpredictable. Beside the major blood supply through conduit arteries, a huge collateral network protects the central nervous system from ischemia—the paraspinous and the intraspinal compartment. The intraspinal arcades maintain perfusion pressure following a sudden inflow interruption, whereas the paraspinal system first needs to undergo arteriogenesis to ensure sufficient blood supply after an acute ischemic insult. The so-called steal phenomenon can even worsen the postoperative situation by causing the hypoperfusion of the spine when, shortly after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) surgery, muscles connected with the network divert blood and cause additional stress. Vessels are a conglomeration of different cell types involved in adapting to stress, like endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and pericytes. This adaption to stress is subdivided in three phases—initiation, growth, and the maturation phase. In fields of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair, pre-operative selective segmental artery occlusion may enable the development of a sufficient collateral network by stimulating collateral vessel growth, which, again, may prevent spinal cord ischemia. Among others, the major signaling pathways include the phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K) pathway/the antiapoptotic kinase (AKT) pathway/the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) pathway, the Erk1, the delta-like ligand (DII), the jagged (Jag)/NOTCH pathway, and the midkine regulatory cytokine signaling pathways.

The Challenges of Redo Aortic Coarctation Repair in Adults

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Aortic coarctation is a common congenital abnormality causing significant morbidity and mortality if not corrected. Re-coarctation or restenosis of the aorta following treatment is a relatively common long-term problem and the optimal therapy has not been elucidated. In this review, we identify the challenges associated with and the optimal management for recurrent aortic coarctation and the most appropriate therapy for different patient cohorts.

RECENT FINDINGS

Open surgery provides a durable long-term aortic repair, however, given the complex nature of the procedure, has a somewhat higher rate of serious complications. Endovascular repair, although less invasive and relatively safe, has limitations in treated complex anatomy and is more likely to require repeat intervention. Open surgical repair is more appropriate for infants that have not been intervened on and endovascular therapy should be reserved for older children and adults and those that require repeat intervention.

Outcomes of open surgical repair of descending thoracic aortic disease

Background

To determine the predictors of clinical outcomes following surgical descending thoracic aortic (DTA) repair.

Methods

We identified 103 patients (23 females; mean age, 64.1±12.3 years) who underwent DTA replacement from 1999 to 2011 using either deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (44%) or partial cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB, 56%).

Results

The early mortality rate was 4.9% (n=5). Early major complications occurred in 21 patients (20.3%), which included newly required hemodialysis (9.7%), low cardiac output syndrome (6.8%), pneumonia (7.8%), stroke (6.8%), and multi-organ failure (3.9%). None experienced paraplegia. During a median follow-up of 56.3 months (inter-quartile range, 23.1 to 85.1 months), there were 17 late deaths and one aortic reoperation. Overall survival at 5 and 10 years was 80.9%±4.3% and 71.7%±5.9%, respectively. Reoperation-free survival at 5 and 10 years was 77.3%±4.8% and 70.2%±5.8%. Multivariable analysis revealed that age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05 to 1.15; p<0.001) and left ventricle (LV) function (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.96; p<0.003) were significant and independent predictors of long-term mortality. CPB strategy, however, was not significantly related to mortality (p=0.49).

Conclusion

Surgical DTA repair was practicable in terms of acceptable perioperative mortality/morbidity as well as favorable long-term survival. Age and LV function were risk factors for long-term mortality, irrespective of the CPB strategy.

Minimally Invasive Segmental Artery Coil Embolization for Preconditioning of the Spinal Cord Collateral Network before One-Stage Descending and Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm Repair

Objective

Paraplegia remains the most devastating complication after thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAA/A) repair. The collateral network (CN) concept of spinal cord perfusion suggests segmental artery (SA) occlusion to mobilize redundant intraspinal and paraspinal arterial sources and ultimately trigger arteriogenesis, leading to spinal cord blood flow restoration within 96 to 120 hours. This principle is used by the two-staged approach to TAA/A-repair—which has lead to an elimination of paraplegia in an experimental model. However, the clinical implementation of a two-staged surgical procedure is challenging, particularly in the absence of an appropriate vascular segment for a “staged” open anastomosis or an appropriate endovascular landing zone. Selective, transfemoral minimally invasive SA coil embolization (MISACE) could provide the solution for one-stage repair of extensive aortic pathologies by triggering arteriogenic CN preconditioning and thereby allowing for recruitment of otherwise redundant arterial collaterals to the spinal cord.

Methods

The feasibility of MISACE was explored in a single animal using an established piglet model. A 6F sheet was introduced via the femoral artery, and a 4F standard Judkins catheter was used for selective angiography and coil insertion. All thoracic and lumbar aortic SAs (15 pairs; Th4–L5) were successfully identified by dye injection. Pediatric platinum endovascular coils (Trufill Pushable Coils, 3 × 20 mm; Cordis, Waterloo, Belgium) were deployed to serially occlude the SA mimicking a CN preconditioning procedure.

Results

All intercostal (thoracic) and lumbar aortic SAs (Th4–L5) were successfully identified and occluded by coil embolization. Successful SA coil embolization was verified intraoperatively by selective dye injection on angiography. No intraoperative coil dislodgement occurred. Autopsy revealed complete occlusion of all embolized SAs enhanced by early local thrombus formation. Thrombotic material was found only distally to the coils. No SA dissection was observed at the aortic SA origins.

Conclusions

The MIS ACE technique allows for rapid serial endovascular occlusion of all thoracic and lumbar SAs. This new innovative approach bares the potential to CN preconditioning at the respective level of aortic pathology—to allow for adequate perioperative spinal cord blood supply—before conventional open or endovascular surgery. Selective, transarterial MISACE might lead to a dramatic reduction of ischemic spinal cord injury after open and endovascular TAA/A repair in the future.

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair: update on indications and guidelines

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has revolutionized thoracic aortic surgery and has increased the options available to the aortic specialist in treating thoracic aortic disease. TEVAR is less invasive, and is associated with a decrease in perioperative morbidity and mortality when compared with open surgical repair. The dramatic expansion of TEVAR activity has necessitated a better definition for the indications, contraindications, and limitations of this new technology. Ideally TEVAR should be performed in specialized aortic centers providing a full range of diagnostic and treatment options, using a multidisciplinary team approach.