Posterior circulation cerebral infarcts associated with repair of thoracic aortic: Disruption using partial left heart bypass

Background: Partial left heart bypass is widely used in the repair of traumatic aortic disruptions. We recently encountered two patients with posterior circulation infarctions after repair of traumatic aortic disruptions using heparin-less partial left heart bypass. Methods/Results: Both patients underwent interposition graft repair of thoracic aortic transections at the level of the isthmus, The first patient developed a left posterior inferior cerebellar artery infarct after a clamp time of 44 minutes, Swelling of this infarct necessitated ventriculostomy placement. The second patient developed a pontine infarct postoperatively after a crossclamp time of 56 minutes and suffered a persistent left upper extremity paresis. Conclusions: Partial left heart bypass may have predisposed these two patients to clamp-related embolic events via the Left vertebral artery. This experience warrants further surveillance to detect these infarcts which can require neurosurgical intervention. Additionally, the events suggest reconsideration of systemic anticoagulation during aortic cross-clamp times exceeding 30 minutes.