ObjectiveTo summarize clinical experience and surgical indications of open stented elephant trunk (sET) procedure for the treatment of complex acute Stanford type B aortic dissection (AD). MethodsFrom February 2009 to April 2013, 25 patients with complex acute Stanford type B AD underwent open sET procedure in Beijing Anzhen Hospital. There were 22 male and 3 female patients with their age of 46.92±9.12 years (range, 30 to 66 years). There were 16 patients with hypertension and 3 patients with preoperative acute renal failure. All the patients received sET implantation via an aortic arch incision under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Concomitant procedures included extra-anatomic bypass grafting in 11 patients, Bentall procedure in 1 patient, aortic valve replacement in 3 patients, and ascending aorta plasty in 3 patients. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) was performed before discharge and during follow-up for all the patients. ResultsOperation time was 4-7 (5.5±0.7) hours, cardiopulmonary bypass time was 93-206 (137.64±30.02) minutes, aortic cross-clamping time was 28-109 (57.96±21.05) minutes, and selective cerebral perfusion time was 15-76 (26.76±11.88) minutes. There was no in-hospital death. Postoperatively, there were 2 patients with pulmonary complications, 2 patients with type I endoleak, 1 patient with acute renal failure, 1 patient with temporary neurological disorder, 1 patient with sudden ventricular fibrillation, and 1 patient with delayed wound healing. Mean follow-up time was 6-54 (25.76±16.15) months, and 2 patients were lost during follow-up. The follow-up rate was 92%.There was no late death during follow-up. ConclusionsOpen sET procedure is a reliable and efficacious therapeutic strategy for patients with complex acute Stanford type B AD. Surgical indications include complex Stanford type B AD without enough landing zone, type B AD with ascending aortic disease, aortic root disease, valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease and congenital heart defects, and type B AD caused by genetic connective tissue disorder.
Objective To summarize our experience and the early and midterm outcomes of stented elephant trunk procedure for right-sided aortic arch (RAA) with Kommerell's diverticulum (KD). Methods From April 2013 to July 2020, patients with RAA and KD who underwent stented elephant trunk procedure at our center were collected. Surgery was performed under moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest combined with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion via median sternotomy. Results A total of 8 patients were included, including 7 males and 1 female with a mean age of 51.88±9.61 years. All patients had an aneurysmal KD and aberrant left subclavian artery. Preoperative comorbidities included acute Stanford type B aortic dissection in 1 patient, aortic arch pseudoaneurysm in 1 patient, acute type B intramural hematoma in 2 patients, and coronary artery disease in 1 patient. Concomitant procedures included reconstruction of the left subclavian artery in all patients and coronary artery bypass grafting in 1 patient. The mean time of operation, cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic cross-clamping, and selective cerebral perfusion was 6.25±1.16 h, 157.75±40.07 min, 77.75±33.10 min, and 28.50±5.55 min, respectively. No intraoperative death occurred. There was 1 in-hospital death. Follow-up was completed in all patients with a mean period of 3.58±2.08 years. No late death occurred. A persistent anastomotic leak of the proximal arch was detected in 1 patient, but reintervention was not performed because neither aortic dilatation nor symptoms of tracheal and esophageal compression were observed during the follow-up. The remaining 6 patients showed positive aortic remodeling with complete thrombosis of the aneurysmal KD, and neither aortic event nor tracheal and esophageal compression occurred. Conclusion Stented elephant trunk procedure is a safe and feasible technique for selected patients with RAA and KD, which can achieve favorable early and midterm outcomes.