ADVANCES IN AORTIC-ARCH SURGERY

From 1980 to January 1991, 130 patients (89 men and 41 women, aged 22 to 76 years; mean age, 52 years) underwent 133 interventions on the aortic arch. Aneurysm was diagnosed in 57 patients, whereas 29 had chronic and 44 acute aortic dissection. In 67 instances a partial and in 35 instances a total arch replacement was performed. The distal arch was approached through a left thoracotomy in 14 patients. Local interventions (n = 17) included surgical reconstruction and glue procedures. Additionally, 55 patients required aortic valve replacement, preferably with composite grafts (n = 46), whereas the valve was reconstructed in 14. Procedures were performed using hypothermia (nasopharyngeal temperature, 11-degrees to 25-degrees-C) and circulatory arrest (mean time, 27 minutes). Early mortality was 13.9% at the first operation on the aortic arch. Early deaths included 7 of 57 patients with aortic aneurysm (12.3%), 2 of 29 patients with chronic dissection (6.9%), and 9 of 44 patients with acute dissection (20.5%). Neurological (n = 6) and cardiac events (n = 5) were the most common causes of early death. Since 1987, 7 of 88 patients have died for an overall mortality of 8.0%. With growing experience, proper indication, and adequate operative strategy including the use of circulatory arrest in hypothermia, operation on the aortic arch can be performed with an acceptable risk.