Anterolateral thoracotomy with partial sternotomy: a feasible approach for treating the complex pathology of the aortic arch.

OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to review our surgical experiences in patients with complex pathologies of the aortic arch who have undergone anterolateral thoracotomy with a partial sternotomy (ALPS). METHODS: From October 2019 to November 2023, a total of 23 patients underwent one-stage repairs of complex pathologies of the aortic arch through the ALPS approach. The mean age was 61.9 ± 16.7 years old. The aortic pathologies were as follows: aorta-related infection in 11 (aorto-oesophageal fistula: 4, graft infection: 6, native aortic infection: 1); aortic dissection in 9 including shaggy aorta in 2, non-dissecting aneurysm in 1, and coarctation of the aorta (CoA) in 2. RESULTS: Eighteen patients underwent aortic replacement from either the sinotubular junction or the ascending aorta to the descending aorta; 1 patient underwent it from the aortic root to the descending aorta (redo Bentall procedure and extensive aortic arch replacement); 3 patients underwent it from the aortic arch between the left carotid artery and left subclavian artery to the descending aorta; and 1 patient underwent a descending aortic replacement. Ten patients underwent omentopexy, latissimus dorsi muscle flap installation or both procedures. The hospital mortality rate was 13.0% (3/23). The overall survival and freedom from aortic events were 73.3%±10.2% and 74.1%±10.2%, respectively, at the 3-year follow-up. There was an absence of aorta-related deaths, and no recurrent infections were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term outcomes using the ALPS approach for the treatment of complex pathologies of the aortic arch were acceptable. Further studies will be required to determine the long-term results.

Open Conversion with Explantation of Stent Grafts After Endovascular Aneurysm Repair for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: Although endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is widely used worldwide, the fact that it is associated with increased rates of reintervention has been considered a problem. This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of primary open AAA repair and open conversion with explantation of stent grafts after EVAR. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we enrolled 1,120 patients (open repair, n = 664; EVAR, n = 456) who underwent AAA repair at Kobe University from 1999 to 2019. Of the 664 patients who underwent open repair, 121 (patients who underwent primary open repair (POR) as a concomitant procedure and patients with ruptured AAA) were excluded from the study. The outcomes of POR were compared with those of open conversion with explantation of stent grafts. RESULTS: Of the 543 patients who underwent open repair, 513 underwent POR and 30 underwent open conversion with explantation of stent grafts. The operation time for POR was significantly less than that for open conversion with explantation. During surgery, patients who underwent open conversion with explantation required significantly more transfusions of red cell concentrate, fresh frozen plasma, and platelet concentrate than those who underwent POR. Overall, 30 patients who underwent open conversion with explantation required a total of 48 reinterventions before surgery. Hospital mortality rates were 0.7% and 0% in the POR and open conversion with explantation groups, respectively (P = 0.62). Although overall survival at 5 years in the POR group was significantly better than that in the open conversion with explantation group (89.3 ± 1.7% vs. 79.5 ± 9.6%; P = 0.01), there were no significant differences between the 2 groups regarding the freedom from aortic event (hospital death, reintervention, and aortic death). According to the multivariate analysis, open conversion with explantation was not an independent risk factor for late death. There were 20 patients who were hesitant to undergo OCE, although we recommended OCE. In a subgroup analysis, the overall mean cost borne by patients who underwent EVAR was approximately 2.3 times higher compared with that borne by patients who underwent POR. CONCLUSIONS: Although demanding, both early and long-term outcomes of OCE have been favorable in our present study. OCE is highly recommended in patients with persistent sac enlargement after EVAR.

Complete resection and arterial reconstruction for primary sarcoma arising from superior mesenteric artery.

In the treatment of retroperitoneal sarcoma involving major vessels, complete resection with vascular reconstruction is challenging. We describe the case of a 72-year-old man who presented with 8 months of abdominal pain. Diagnostic workup revealed occlusion of the celiac trunk and the origin of the superior mesenteric artery due to a soft tissue sarcoma. Radical resection of the tumor and vessels was performed. Guided by intraoperative angiography, arterial reconstruction was performed without mesenteric ischemia. All arterial margins were negative. At the 6-year follow-up, the patient was alive with no evidence of recurrence.

Surgical outcomes of pulmonary artery sling and congenital tracheal stenosis with right lung anomaly.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate whether computed tomographic indices support surgical decision-making in patients with pulmonary artery sling, congenital tracheal stenosis and right lung underdevelopment. METHODS: A total of 38 patients with pulmonary artery sling and congenital tracheal stenosis underwent tracheoplasty. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on anatomical categorization: group normal lung (NL; n = 21), group H (right lung hypoplasia, n = 12) and group A (right lung agenesis or aplasia, n = 5). Using preoperative computed tomographic images, the severity of the tracheal bending due to the right posterior deviation of the aortic arch and the relative length of the left pulmonary artery for reimplantation was evaluated. RESULTS: Slide tracheoplasty posterior to the aortic arch with pulmonary artery reimplantation was performed in 32 patients (21, 10 and 1 in groups NL, H and A, respectively). Slide tracheoplasty anterior to the aortic arch was performed in 4 patients (2 patients each in groups H and A). Among the 6 patients with severe tracheal bending who underwent slide tracheoplasty posterior to the aortic arch, 5 required aortopexy for tracheomalacia. The overall mortality rate was 3% (group NL, n = 1). The relative length of the left pulmonary artery in group H (0.85) was significantly shorter than that in group NL (1.36, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with right lung underdevelopment, preoperative computed tomography elucidated the tracheal bending due to right posterior deviation of the aortic arch, which compromised tracheoplasty and shortness of the left pulmonary artery for pulmonary artery sling repair.

Selective Lesser Curvature Augmentation With Geometric Study for Repair of Aortic Arch Obstruction.

BACKGROUND: We repaired aortic coarctation and interrupted aortic arch with extended end-to-end anastomosis (EAA) through median sternotomy and performed lesser curvature augmentation with a pulmonary autograft patch (PAP) in selected patients with a long gap between anastomotic sites. We reviewed these outcomes and geometric implications. METHODS: All neonates and infants with biventricular morphology who underwent aortic arch reconstruction through median sternotomy between 2005 and 2019 were evaluated. Aortic arch geometry was analyzed with computed tomography routinely performed before and after surgery from 2009 on. RESULTS: There were 91 consecutive patients (median age, 1.2 months). Ten patients received PAP. One early death and no late deaths were noted. Overall survival was 98.9% at 10 years. Two left bronchomalacia and 1 recoarctation occurred in patients with EAA. Freedom from recoarctation was 97.4% at 10 years. We examined 68 patients with computed tomography. We used PAP in patients with a significantly longer gap between anastomotic sites indexed by the square root of the body surface area; its cutoff value was 29.0 mm/m (area under the curve, 0.86 mm/m). The PAP created a significantly greater arch angle (median, 91° versus 83°) and arch/descending diameter ratio (median, 1.2 versus 1.0) and preserved the arch width indexed by the square root of the body surface area (median, before surgery: 35.7 versus 34.4 mm/m; after surgery: 36.5 versus 29.9mm/m), compared with EAA. CONCLUSIONS: Aortic arch reconstruction with the current combined strategy provides satisfactory outcomes. Guided by geometric analysis, lesser curvature augmentation can be applied to patients who might experience recoarctation or airway compression with a directly anastomosed aortic arch.

Cusp-based geometric height-oriented repair of a pediatric aortic valve.

Progressive aortic regurgitation can occur in pediatric patients due to root dilation with conotruncal anomalies or cusp prolapse associated with a ventricular septal defect. It is treated using various approaches influenced by personal preferences and institutional experience. We applied geometrical concepts developed for adult aortic valve repair to pediatric valves. The basal ring and sinotubular junction are downsized in relation to the geometric height of the cusp by external suture annuloplasty. The length of the cusp free margin is then adjusted with central plication, guided by measuring the effective height of the cusp. This approach facilitates the reproducibility and predictability of pediatric aortic valve repair.

Computed tomography-based surgical strategy for total anomalous pulmonary venous connection.

OBJECTIVES: We used computed tomographic angiography (CTA)-based surgical planning to clarify the anatomical indications of sutureless repair technique for total anomalous pulmonary venous connection. The mid-term impact of the current surgical strategies was evaluated. METHODS: One hundred twelve patients underwent repair for total anomalous pulmonary venous connection. The study period was divided into era 1 (1996-2010, n = 56) and era 2 (2011-2018, n = 56). Patients with single ventricular heart (SVH) were included. In era 2, the indications for primary sutureless repair and branch pulmonary vein incision were based on CTA findings. RESULTS: For patients with biventricular heart, the 5-year survival was 69% and 97% in eras 1 and 2, respectively (P = 0.0024). For patients with SVH, the 5-year survival was 21% and 70% in eras 1 and 2, respectively (P = 0.0007). During the follow-up period, the evidence of post-repair pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) was observed in 12 patients with biventricular heart [era 1, 8 patients (23%); era 2, 4 patients (13%)], and 14 patients with SVH [era 1, 6 patients (60%); era 2, 8 patients (36%)]. Using multivariable analysis, preoperative CTA was associated with improved survival in both biventricular heart and SVH and associated with post-repair PVS-free survival in SVH. Since 2011, 12 patients with post-repair PVS underwent multiple reintervention with 1 recorded death (5-year survival: 88%). CONCLUSIONS: CTA-based surgical strategy for total anomalous pulmonary venous connection provided significant survival benefit. Although post-repair PVS could occur in era 2, aggressive reintervention appeared to be associated with improved survival and vein patency.

Valve-sparing aortic root replacement combined with bicuspidization for a quadricuspid aortic valve.

Quadricuspid aortic valves are rare congenital malformations. Although aortic valve replacement is the first-choice treatment in most cases, aortic valve repair using a tricuspidization procedure has been reported. Herein, we report the case of a patient with a quadricuspid aortic valve associated with aortic insufficiency that we successfully repaired with aortic valve-sparing root replacement and bicuspidization.

Fatal Complications of New-Onset Complicated Type B Aortic Dissection After Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: Report of 2 Cases and Literature Review.

New-onset antegrade Stanford type B aortic dissection (TBAD) after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is rare. The extension of aortic dissection leads to various symptoms and affects the stent graft. Moreover, various symptoms may arise owing to a stent graft being present. We describe 2 cases of complicated acute TBAD occurring after EVAR, which were ultimately fatal. The case in which rupture occurred could not be treated and the patient died. In another case with bilateral lower extremity malperfusion caused by collapse and occlusion of the endograft, extra-anatomical bypass was performed. Although the collapsed endograft gradually re-expanded, the patient ultimately died because of multiorgan failure. We have reviewed the literature and analyzed the treatment of complicated TBAD after EVAR.