Analysis of Spinal Ischemia after Frozen Elephant Trunk for Acute Aortic Dissection: An Observational, Single-Center Study

Background: This observational study aimed to evaluate the perioperative risk factors for spinal cord ischemia (SCI) in patients who underwent aortic repair with the frozen elephant trunk technique (FET) after acute aortic Stanford A dissection.

Methods: From May 2015 to April 2019, 31 patients underwent aortic arch replacement with the FET technique, and spinal ischemia was observed in 4 patients. The risk factors for postoperative SCI were analyzed.

Results: The mean age of patients with acute aortic dissection was 57.1 years, and 29.4% were female. Four patients developed SCI. There were no significant differences in characteristics such as age and body mass index. The female gender was associated with most of the SCI cases in the univariate analysis (75%, p = 0.016). Known perioperative and intraoperative risk factors were not related to postoperative SCI in our study. Patients who developed SCI had increased serum postoperative creatinine levels (p = 0.03). Twenty-four patients showed complete false lumen thrombosis up to zones 3-4, five patients up to zones 5-6 and two patients up to zones 7-9, which correlates with the postoperative development of SCI (p = 0.02). The total number of patent intercostal arteries was significantly reduced postoperatively in SCI patients (p = 0.044).

Conclusions: Postoperative acute kidney injury, the reduction in patent intercostal arteries after surgery and the extension of false lumen thrombosis up to and beyond zone 5 may play a significant role in the development of clinically relevant spinal cord injury after FET.