Delayed surgery for acute type A aortic dissection: a retrospective review of an alternative surgical strategy in the COVID-19 era.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, medical resources have often been limited to emergency surgeries. This study aimed to evaluate our experience with delayed surgery for acute type A aortic dissections (ATAADs). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 33 patients who underwent surgery for ATAADs between January 2020 and December 2021. The patients were divided into two groups patients treated within 12 h of arrival (E group; N = 21) and those treated > 12 h after arrival (D group; N = 12) with strict antihypertensive therapy until surgery. RESULTS: The plasma fibrinogen levels on arrival were lower in the D group than in the E group (174.3 ± 109.1 vs 293.4 ± 165.4, p = 0.038). The time to surgery from symptom onset was longer in the D group than in the E group (4 ± 1 h vs. 86 ± 108 h, p < 0.001). There was one case (3%) of mortality and seven cases (21%) of cerebral infarctions in the E group. There was no significant difference in the intraoperative data and quantity of blood transfused between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Thus, delayed surgery for ATAAD with appropriate preoperative management may be an alternative surgical strategy in the COVID-19 era.