Objectives: Patients with thoracic aneurysmal disease involving the arch and the descending or thoracoabdominal aorta may require more than one surgical intervention. The results of one-stage repair using a hybrid stent-graft in the frozen elephant trunk manner are presented.
Methods: Between January 2005 and March 2012, 113 (age 67 ± 10 years) of 358 registered patients in the International E-Vita Open Registry were operated on for combined arch and descending and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. Thirty-one (27%) patients had a previous cardiothoracic, abdominal aortic surgery or endovascular repair. The E-Vita Open hybrid stent-graft was used in all cases. Postoperatively and during the follow-up (100%), aortic image examinations were performed.
Results: Combined arch replacement and antegrade stent-grafting distally (graft diameter 34 ± 4 mm) were performed under selective cerebral perfusion (72 ± 27 min) and hypothermic visceral ischaemia (65 ± 27 min). Postoperatively, aneurysm exclusion was completely and partially achieved in 80% and 20%, respectively. In-hospital mortality and survival rate after 5 years were 12% (13 of 113) and 78%, respectively. Latest aortic imaging demonstrated 93% complete aneurysm exclusion. Freedom from secondary endovascular intervention and open surgery were 88 and 90%, respectively.
Conclusions: In multisegmental thoracic aneurysmal disease, combined arch replacement with distal repair by a hybrid stent-graft enables one-stage treatment with acceptable mortality. Aneurysm exclusion by the stent-graft seems to be primarily curative and allows easier access for distal open or endovascular reintervention.
Keywords: Aneurysmal disease; Aorta; Aortic surgery; Frozen elephant trunk.