Background: This study evaluated the role of left heart bypass on the results of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) operations.
Methods: Two hundred fifty-eight patients had surgical repair of a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm between 1981 and 1998 using the inlay technique. Simple cross-clamping was used in 47.7% and left heart bypass (atriodistal) in 52.3%. Further surgical technique was identical: liberal intercostal or lumbar artery reimplantation, cerebrospinal fluid drainage (since 1989), administration of a renal cooling solution, permissive mild hypothermia, and no pharmacologic protection. Both univariate and multivariate analysis were used.
Results: The hospital mortality rate was 10.1% overall: 14.6% in the cross-clamp group, and 5.9% in the bypass group (p = 0.02). The risk of hospital death increased with aneurysm rupture (odds ratio 5.6) and when the patient needed postoperative dialysis (odds ratio 7.5). The use of left heart bypass had a mild protective effect on hospital death (odds ratio 0.56). The incidence of postoperative renal failure requiring dialysis was 8.3% overall: 10.9% in the cross-clamp group, and 5.9% in the bypass group (p = 0.16). After multivariate analysis, a longer operative procedure (odds ratio 1.01 per minute) and a longer reappearance time of blue dye in the urine (odds ratio 1.05 per minute) increased the risk of dialysis, whereas the use of atriodistal bypass reduced that risk (odds ratio 0.08). Paraplegia or paraparesis occurred in 10.9% of patients overall: 13.2% in the cross-clamp group, and 8.8% in the bypass group (p = 0.27). After logistic regression, rupture increased the risk of paraplegia or paraparesis (odds ratio 3.2) and dissection reduced it (odds ratio 0.23).
Conclusions: The use of atriodistal bypass is beneficial in patients who had thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Hospital mortality rates, postoperative dialysis, and paraplegia/paraparesis were reduced.