Prophylactic stage 1 elephant trunk for moderately dilated descending aorta in patients with predominantly proximal disease

The Fate of Conventional Elephant Trunk in the Frozen Elephant Trunk Era

Conventional elephant trunk (cET) and frozen elephant trunk (FET) are two distinct approaches to the surgical treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. With the advent and growing uptake of endovascular technologies, FET is becoming increasingly popular for its potential to be performed as a single-stage operation with better aortic remodeling and less risk of graft kinking than the traditional two-stage cET procedure. However, FET has been associated with a higher risk of spinal cord ischemia and its use in patients with connective tissue disorder remains controversial. The current review aimed to reflect on recent evidence surrounding the application of cET and FET to different types of aortic pathology in both acute and elective settings. Another scope of this review was to compare the characteristics of the currently available FET commercial devices on the global market. Our findings highlight that when the pathology is confined to the proximal descending aorta, such as in Dsine, intervention is often single-staged and false lumen (FL) thrombosis is achieved with good effect. FET remains limited by spinal cord injury and applicability in patients with connective tissue disorder, although some groups have started to circumvent associated complications, likely due to growing surgical expertise. Many other aortic diseases do require second-stage intervention, and even in these cases, there appears to be lower in-hospital mortality when using FET over cET. This is possibly due to the higher rate of endovascular completion facilitated by the completed landing zones created during FET. FET is trending toward becoming the universal treatment modality for extending repair to the descending aorta.

Valve-Preserving Root Reimplantation Combined with Arch Procedure: Optimizing Patient Selection

OBJECTIVE

Patients with thoracic aortic disease commonly present with concomitant multisegment pathology. We describe the patient population, analyze outcomes, and define the patient selection strategy for valve-preserving aortic root reimplantation (VPARR) combined with the arch procedure. Methods: From 2008 to 2018, 98 patients underwent VPARR combined with the aortic arch procedure (hemi-arch, 50% [n = 49, limited repair]; total arch, 50% [n = 49, complete repair] including 39 with elephant trunk). Indications for surgery were aneurysmal disease (61%) and aortic dissection (39%). The median follow-up was 17 months (IQR, 8 to 60 months). Results: There were no operative deaths or paraplegia, and 5 patients underwent re-exploration for bleeding. During follow-up, 2 patients required aortic valve replacement for severe aortic insufficiency at 1 and 5 years, and 4 patients died. In the limited repair group, 1 patient underwent reintervention for aortic arch replacement, whereas 4 patients underwent planned intervention (1 endovascular and 3 open thoracoabdominal aortic repair). In the complete repair group, 23 patients underwent planned intervention (15 endovascular and 8 open thoracoabdominal repair). Conclusions: Single-stage, complete, proximal aortic repair including VPARR combined with total aortic arch replacement is as safe and feasible to perform as limited arch repair and facilitates further intervention in carefully selected patients with diffuse aortic pathology at centers of expertise.

“Why is frozen elephant trunk better than classical elephant trunk?”

The treatment of complex aortic arch disease, in chronic or acute setting, has always represented a fascinating challenge for the heart surgeon also because, often, the involvement of the aortic arch is associated with a simultaneous involvement of the ascending aorta and of the proximal portion of the descending thoracic aorta. In recent years, there have been many surgical and/or endovascular techniques and approaches in a single step or multiple steps proposed with the aim of treating and simplifying these complex conditions. The first procedure available for this purpose was the conventional elephant trunk technique, proposed by the German surgeon Hans Borst, back in 1983. In the following years, the technique has undergone modifications, up to what is nowadays considered its most modern evolution, represented by the frozen elephant trunk which allows managing the proximal descending thoracic aorta using the antegrade release of a self-expandable stent graft. In this review article, we try to analyze the advantages and drawbacks of both techniques from clinical and practical points of view.

Surgical Strategies for Type B Aortic Dissection by Frozen Elephant Trunk

The timing and choice of surgical method for type B aortic dissection, is still a topic of much debate. We performed total arch replacement using frozen elephant trunk (TAR-FET) as a means of preventing distant aortic events, such as retrograde type A aortic dissection (RTAD). We conducted analysis of 142 patients with acute type B dissection who were admitted between January of 2010 and July of 2017. Fifty-five cases required surgical intervention to treat enlargement of the false lumen diameter and ULP formation 2 weeks after the onset of symptoms. 17 TAR-FET were performed with a mean of 42±26 days period from onset to surgery. There were no complications of RTAD or paraplegic, and 90% of patient demonstrated aortic event free survival (5 years) and false lumen reduction ratio of 35%. Based on our analysis, using TAR-FET properly avoids serious complications like RTAD, and is a viable treatment option for type B dissection. (This is a translation of J Jpn Coll Angiol 2018; 58: 151-157.).

Role of the frozen elephant trunk procedure for chronic aortic dissection

OBJECTIVES

Considering the chronic and progressive nature of aortic dissection, operative planning must anticipate the need for later interventions. We have increasingly used a modified version of the frozen elephant trunk repair operation to treat these patients. We review the indications, considerations for planning, and important operative details for performing frozen elephant trunk repair for chronic aortic dissection.

METHODS

Frozen elephant trunk repair is performed using selective antegrade brain perfusion, direct placement of commercially available stent grafts with suture fixation in the aortic arch, and proximal aortic replacement. Details are reviewed.

RESULTS

We have published details related to the excellent results for the frozen elephant trunk procedure in patients with chronic dissection.

CONCLUSIONS

The modified frozen elephant trunk repair is particularly well suited for patients with chronic aortic dissection who often require multiple operations to address their extensive disease.

Outcomes after aortic graft-to-graft anastomosis with an automated circular stapler: A novel approach

OBJECTIVE

Patients with complex aortic disease often require multistaged repairs with numerous anastomoses. Manual suturing can be time consuming. To reduce ischemic time, a circular stapling device has been used to facilitate prosthetic graft-to-graft anastomoses. Objectives are to describe this technique and assess outcomes.

METHODS

From February 2009 to May 2014, 44 patients underwent complex aortic repair with a circular end-to-end anastomosis (EEA) stapler at Cleveland Clinic. All patients had extensive aneurysms: 17 after ascending dissection repair, 10 chronic type B dissections, and 17 degenerative aneurysms. Stapler was used during total arch repair as an end-to-side anastomosis (n = 36; including first stage elephant trunk [ET] in 32, frozen ET in 3) and an end-to-end anastomosis during redo thoracoabdominal repair (n = 11). Three patients had the stapler used during both stages of repair. Patients underwent early and annual follow-ups with computed tomography analysis.

RESULTS

There were no bleeds, ruptures, or leaks at the stapled site, but 2 patients died. Complications included 7 reoperations not related to the site of stapled anastomosis and 6 tracheostomies, but there was no paralysis or renal failure. Mean circulatory arrest time was 16 ± 5 minutes. Mean follow-up was 26 ± 17 months and consisted of imaging before discharge, at 3 to 6 months, and at 1 year. Planned reinterventions included 21 second-stage ET completion: Endovascular (n = 18) and open (n = 3). There were 4 late deaths.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of an end-to-end anastomotic automated circular stapler is safe, effective, and durable in performing graft-to-graft anastomoses during complex thoracic aortic surgery. Further evaluation and refinement of this technique are warranted.