Endoluminal stent-graft placement in patients with acute aortic dissection type B

Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of endovascular stent-grafting in treating Stanford type B acute aortic dissection. We describe our first clinical experiences and initial result,, with stent-grafting across the primary entry tear in patients with acute aortic dissection type B. Methods: Between March 2000 and August 2001, nine patients with acute type B dissection were treated endoluminally by stent-graft implantation. There were seven male and two female patients with a mean age of 63 years (between 48 and 85 years). In all nine patients aortic dissection was diagnosed by multislice computed tomography (CT) angiography, All nine patients had a maximal aortic diameter of 5.5 cm or more and recurrent pain, one patient showed hemoptysis. This patient with signs of a contained rupture was treated under emergency condition, the eight remaining patients Acre in hemodynamic stabile condition at the time of intervention. The GORE(R) Excluder stent-graft system was used in eight patients (mean 1.8 stents/patient) and the TALENT(R) stent-graft system in one patient, which were introduced transfemorally. Results: The primary, entry, tear could he sealed Successfully in all nine patients. Complete thrombosis of the false thoracic aortic lumen was obtained in two patients. in the remaining seven patients the raise lumen was obliterated in the area of the thoracic aorta but pet-fused via re-entries in the abdominal region, No severe intraoperative complications occurred. One patient developed bilateral incomplete paraplegia with motor and sensory deficits affecting completely the right leg and partially the left leg, 14 h after intervention. A cerebrospinal fluid drainage was initiated by inserting it lumbar catheter. All nine patients, including the patient with the transient paraplegia, could be discharged from the hospital in excellent condition and without remaining neurologic deficits. Control CT scans showed a reduction of the false lumen front 2,34 +/- 0.58 to 0.7 +/- 0.44 cm and an increase of the true lumen from 1.56 +/- 0.5 to 4.10 +/- 0.6 cm in the thoracic aortic region. Mean ICU stay was 1.8 days, mean postoperative hospital stay was 7.6 days. Conclusions: Stent-grafting of acute type B dissections may represent a verb effective and promising new method by closure of the primary entry tear. thereby minimizing the risk of rupture of the thoracic aorta and optimizing distal perfusion by decompression of the true lumen. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.