Objective: To evaluate the effect of femoral cannulation via artificial vessel in operation for aortic dissection.
Methods: Operation through femoral cannulation via artificial vessel was performed upon 159 patients with aortic dissection, 89 of Stanford type A and 70 of Stanford type B. An artificial vessel was anastomosed end-to-side to the femural artery. Femoral catheter was inserted via this artificial vessel. Cardiopulmonary bypass was performed in 90 patients, among which 31 had deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Left heart bypass was performed in 69 patients.
Results: False lumen perfusion was detected during cardiopulmonary bypass in 7 patients (4.4%). Cerebral events occurred in 7 patients (two patients with diffused cerebral anoxia with one death, and five patients with cerebral embolism with three deaths). 12 patients suffered from prolonged incision recovery (9.0%), and two from local infection (1.5%). No lower extremity ischemia or femoral thrombosis was found in the cannulation side.
Conclusion: Femoral cannulation via artificial vessel effectively reduces the incidence of structure of femoral artery, thrombosis, and lower extremity ischemia. Operation through femoral cannulation via artificial vessel is very effective in treatment of aortal dissection. Only a few cases of cerebral events caused by retrograde perfusion through femoral cannulation occurred in this group, however, with high mortality.