LATE REOPERATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH AORTIC DISSECTION

Aortic dissection is an evolving process that may require one or several reoperations after the initial emergency repair. From January 1977 to September 1993, 148 patients underwent emergency surgery for type A acute aortic dissection. The replacement of the ascending aorta was extended to include the transverse arch in 43 patients (29%). One hundred fifteen patients (78%) survived surgery. During the same period, 37 patients required reoperation once (28), twice (7), or three times (2), for a total of 48 reoperations. Twenty-one patients had undergone initial repair in our institution; 16 patients had been operated on elsewhere. Reoperation was indicated for: aortic valve disease (4); a new dissecting process (7); threatening aneurysmal evolution of a persisting dissection (34); or false aneurysm (3). The re-do procedure involved: the aortic root and/or ascending aorta in 12 cases (group I); the ascending aorta and the transverse arch in 6 cases (group II); the transverse arch alone in 8 cases (group III); the transverse arch and descending aorta, or the descending aorta alone in 11 cases (group IV); and the thoracoabdominal aorta in 11 cases (group V). Risk factors for reoperation were analyzed in the 115 survivors initially operated on at our institution. Seven of 20 Marfan patients (35%) versus 12 of 95 non-Marfan patients (12.6%) required reoperation (p < 0.02). None of the 31 patients surviving arch replacement at initial repair required a reoperation, versus 21 of 84 (25%) patients surviving replacement limited to the ascending aorta (p < 0.01). The overall mortality rate of reoperation was 18.9% (7/37), with a risk of 14.5% (7/48) at each procedure (group I 8.3%, group II 0%, group III 20%, group IV 18%, group V 27%). Hospital mortality was influenced by whether the operation was done as an emergency (5/10) (p < 0.005), and whether thoracoabdominal replacement was required (3/11) (p < 0.03). The late survival rate after reoperation is 67.1% +/- 17.6% at 1 year, and 57% +/- 19.6% at 5 years (Kaplan-Meier Cl 95%). The late survival rate, after initial repair, of reoperated patients is 89.6% +/- 11.0% at 1 year, 79.3% +/- 14.7% at 5 years, 53.9% +/- 18.1% at 10 years, and 35.9% +/- 21.8% at 12 years. In conclusion, elective reoperation should be considered before the occurrence of complications, especially in patients with Marfan syndrome. It entails a relatively low risk, except in the case of thoracoabdominal replacement, and allows satisfactory long-term survival. In our experience, resection of the entry site at initial emergency operation, when it is located on or extends to the transverse arch, reduces the incidence of reoperation.