Hybrid Approaches to Repair of Complex Aortic Aneurysmal Disease

Endovascular Stent Grafting for Aortic Arch Aneurysm in Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease following Aortic Arch Debranching and Aortobifemoral Reconstruction

Treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms constitutes high mortality and morbidity rates despite improvements in surgery, anesthesia, and technology. Endovascular stent grafting may be an alternative therapy with lower risks when compared with conventional techniques. However, sometimes the branches of the aortic arch may require transport to the proximal segments prior to successful thoracic aortic endovascular stent grafting. Atherosclerosis is accounted among the etiology of both aneurysms and occlusive diseases that can coexist in the same patient. In these situations stent grafting may even be more complicated. In this report, we present the treatment of a 92-year-old patient with aortic arch aneurysm and proximal descending aortic aneurysm. For successful thoracic endovascular stent grafting, the patient needed an alternative route other than the native femoral and iliac arteries for the deployment of the stent graft. In addition, debranching of left carotid and subclavian arteries from the aortic arch was also required for successful exclusion of the thoracic aneurysm.

Endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA): early experience

BACKGROUND

Repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAA) represents a considerable technical challenge. Since its first description in 1955, open repair of TAAA has been considered the gold standard of repair. Despite improvements in surgical techniques, spinal cord protection and post-operative critical care support, patients who undergo open repair are faced with a mortality rate of 5-35 %. We report the first Irish experience of endovascular management of TAAAs.

RESULTS

To date five patients have undergone endovascular repair; four had hybrid repair and one a fenestrated graft. The mean age of the patients was 66.8 ± 3.4 and the mean aneurysm diameter was 6.74 ± 0.6 cm. All patients were ASA III. Two-stage hybrid repair was associated with an increased risk of complications, prolonged intensive care unit and overall hospital stay. One patient died in the perioperative period due to rupture of their aneurysm between the two stages of their hybrid repair.

CONCLUSION

The role of endovascular techniques in the treatment of TAAA continues to evolve. Hybrid and complete endovascular repairs do not replace conventional repair, but provide an alternative for high-risk patients who might otherwise be denied treatment.

Epidural pain relief versus systemic opioid-based pain relief for abdominal aortic surgery

BACKGROUND

Epidural analgesia offers greater pain relief compared to systemic opioid-based medications, but its effect on morbidity and mortality is unclear. This review was originally published in 2006 and was updated in 2011.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the benefits and harms of postoperative epidural analgesia in comparison with postoperative systemic opioid-based pain relief for adult patients who underwent elective abdominal aortic surgery.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2010, Issue 11) via Ovid; Ovid MEDLINE (from inception to week 1 November 2010); and EMBASE (from inception to week 1, November 2010). The original search was performed in 2004. We assessed non-English language reports and contacted researchers in the field. We did not seek unpublished data.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included all randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials comparing postoperative epidural analgesia and postoperative systemic opioid-based analgesia for adult patients who underwent elective open abdominal aortic surgery.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We contacted study authors for additional information and data.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 15 trials that involved 1297 patients (633 patients received epidural analgesia and 664 received systemic opioid analgesia) in this review. This included one trial we found in our updated search and one trial from our original review that had been awaiting translation. The epidural analgesia group showed significantly lower visual analogue scale scores for pain on movement (up to postoperative day three) regardless of the site of the epidural catheter and epidural formulation. The postoperative duration of tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation was significantly shorter, by about 48%, in the epidural analgesia group. The overall event rates of myocardial infarction, acute respiratory failure (defined as an extended need for mechanical ventilation), gastrointestinal complications, and renal complications were significantly lower in the epidural analgesia group.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Epidural analgesia provides better pain relief (especially during movement) in the period up to three postoperative days. It reduces the duration of postoperative tracheal intubation by roughly half. The occurrence of prolonged postoperative mechanical ventilation, myocardial infarction, gastric complications and renal complications was reduced by epidural analgesia. However, current evidence does not confirm the beneficial effect of epidural analgesia on postoperative mortality and other types of complications.

Hybrid endovascular treatment of aneurysm degeneration in a rare right-aortic arch anomaly with Kommerell diverticulum

We present a hybrid endovascular approach to a 6.5-cm aneurysm of the right-sided aortic arch with an aberrant left subclavian artery arising from a Kommerell diverticulum, connected to the left pulmonary artery through the ligamentum arteriosum. The two-step procedure consisted of a bilateral carotid-subclavian bypass, followed by an ascending aorta-bicarotid bypass and completed by an endovascular exclusion of the aneurysms by covering the whole aortic arch and its branches. The patient had no complications and is asymptomatic 21 months after surgery. Hybrid procedures may be helpful in complex aortic arch pathologies, reducing complications of challenging open surgery.

Hybrid repair of thoracoabdominal aneurysms: a combined endovascular and open approach

Thoracic endografting is emerging as an alternative option in the surgical management of patients who have thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAA) or aortic dissection. Due to the high morbidity and mortality rates associated with open TAAA repair, vascular surgeons are searching for innovative methods to repair such aneurysms. A combined endovascular and open approach, otherwise known as the hybrid repair, involves aortic "debranching" (renal and mesenteric revascularization) to create a landing zone for the endograft. Although operative mortality with hybrid is equivalent to mortality found with open repair, reported paralysis rates are reduced. Limited data regarding hybrid graft patency and durability are available. Vascular nurses play a vital role in patient education pre and postoperatively; therefore, they should know the risks and benefits associated with both open and hybrid TAAA repair as well as the risk associated with TAAA rupture. Nurses caring for patients after hybrid repair should possess astute assessment skills in monitoring for postoperative complications. Close observation for stroke, paralysis, renal insufficiency/failure, bowel ischemia/dysfunction, lower extremity ischemia and basic hemodynamics is essential for favorable outcomes. Vascular nurses should provide surgery-specific instruction regarding lengths of stay, expected outcomes, activity restrictions, CT-scan follow-up and possible complications after surgery, including warning signs. In the evolving field of endovascular surgery, vascular nurses must remain current on new innovative techniques being used, such as thoracic endografting.