Safety and effectiveness of the sutureless integrated stented graft prosthesis in an animal model.

Background: Prolonged circulatory arrest time is an independent risk factor for postoperative adverse events of type A aortic dissection (TAAD) surgery. Further reduction of the circulatory arrest time is essential to improve surgical outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the novel Sutureless Integrated Stented (SIS) graft prosthesis in an animal experiment. Materials and methods: Straight type of the SIS graft prosthesis was implanted into the descending aorta of 10 adult male sheep, and the use of the device was scored on a scale of 1-10. Aortic digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was performed at 4, 14, and 26 weeks to investigate the prostheses. After 26 weeks, the animals were sacrificed for histological analysis. Results: The immediate success rate of the surgery was 100 %, and the overall mean score of the use of the device was 9.65 ± 0.99. Three animals died from non-device-related causes during follow-up. Aortic DSA showed filling defects in 5 animals. Histological analysis revealed that all prostheses were intact. Except for 2 early deaths, the other 8 prostheses were endothelialized with mild inflammation, foreign body reactions, and intimal fibrosis. The mean cross-sectional area of the sutureless region was reduced by 26.4 % (range, 1.3-39.1 %). Conclusions: The safety and effectiveness of the novel SIS graft prosthesis were acceptable, and the delivery system exhibited a promising performance. Using the SIS graft prosthesis in TAAD surgery was expected to simplify the procedures and shorten the circulatory arrest time. Further large-scale clinical trials are required to verify these findings.

Midterm Outcomes of One-Stage Hybrid Aortic Arch Repair for Stanford Type A Aortic Dissection: A Single Center's Experience.

This study sought to identify the midterm outcomes of one-stage hybrid aortic arch repair (HAAR) in patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD). Between January 2010 and December 2015, 75 consecutive patients with TAAD involving the aortic arch who underwent one-stage type Ⅱ HAAR at our institution were identified. During this period, 496 consecutive patients with TAAD underwent traditional total aortic arch replacement (TAR) with frozen elephant trunk. The preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative data of all patients were compared. A propensity score-matching analysis was applied to adjust for baseline risk factors. Five hundred and seventy-one patients were included for analysis (428 men; mean age, 48.9 ± 11.1 years). For all patients, the mean follow-up time was 41.1 ± 22.1 months, in-hospital mortality was 4.7%, and the 5-year survival rate was 89.5%. Midterm outcomes between the propensity-matched groups were compared (59 HAAR vs TAR pairs). HAAR group showed shorter cardiopulmonary bypass time (105-159 minutes vs 158-230 minutes, P < 0.001), aortic cross-clamping time, postoperative ventilation time, and intensive care unit stays (33-108 hours vs 45-131 hours, P = 0.010) than the TAR group. There were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality, rate of stroke and rate of paraplegia between the 2 groups, however, better 5-year survival rate was found in HAAR group (94.9% vs 75.8%, Log-rank P = 0.005). As compared to propensity matched cohort of TAR patients, HAAR shows good midterm outcomes for patients with TAAD. Further randomized study was needed to clarify the optimal management strategy of TAAD.

Ascending Aortoiliac Bypass for One-Stage Repair of Adult Aortic Coarctation With Concomitant Cardiac Lesions.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ascending aortoiliac bypass surgery for one-stage repair of adult coarctation of the aorta (CoA) and concomitant cardiac disease. METHODS: From March 2012 to October 2018, 51 consecutive CoA patients were treated with ascending aorta to bilateral iliac artery bypass concomitant with and cardiac surgerical procedures performed for a variety of reasons. A Y-shaped graft was used for the bypass procedure. We evaluated early outcomes, including postoperative death, systolic blood pressure and differences between upper and lower limb blood pressure. RESULTS: The average age was 41 years and 64.7% of patients were men. Simultaneous cardiac procedures included aortic valve replacement, ventricular septal defect repair, Bentall procedures and Wheat procedures. No deaths occurred in the early postoperative period. Three patients had delayed healing at the site of the abdominal lower quadrant incisions. The average systolic pressure in the upper limb and the average difference between the upper- and lower-limb blood pressure decreased significantly after surgery (162.7 ± 13.4 mmHg vs 128.4 ± 6.7 mmHg, P = .000; 69.6 ± 15.6 mmHg vs 8.7 ± 7.6 mmHg, P = .000, respectively); The systolic blood pressure in the lower limb increased after bypass surgery (93.1 ± 6.2 mmHg vs 119.6 ± 7.7 mmHg, P = .000). The follow-up rate was 100%, with an average follow-up time of 61 months. Six patients (11.8%) had graft stenosis or occlusion. Three patients (5.9%) underwent endovascular embolectomy. CONCLUSIONS: In our small series, ascending aortoiliac bypass for one-stage repair of CoA with concomitant cardiac lesions appears safe and efficacious in effectively reduceing differences between upper and lower limb systolic blood pressure. Further study with larger sample size and longer follow-up is needed.

Current Surgical Management of Acute Type A Aortic Dissection in China: A Multicenter Registry Study.

Background: Many countries and regions have established multicenter registration studies to improve the outcomes of acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). Objectives: The aims of this study were to report actual preoperative management, surgery type, and early outcomes of surgical treatment for ATAAD in China. Methods: This cohort study uses data from the China Registry of Type A Aortic Dissection, a national clinical registry to investigate management of patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection. The data, including surgical management and outcomes of patients with ATAAD, were analyzed from January 2018 to December 2021. Results: A total of 1,058 patients with ATAAD were enrolled in this study between January 2018 and December 2021. The mean age of all patients was 51.6 ±11.7 years. The median interval from onset to hospital was 10.65 hours (IQR: 6-24 hours), and the median interval from entering the emergency room to starting operation was 13 hours (IQR: 4.08-28.7 hours). Total arch repair was performed in 938 patients (88.7%), and frozen elephant trunk repair was performed in 800 patients (75.6%). The incidence of early mortality was 7.6%. Conclusions: The population of patients with ATAAD in China experienced a longer interval from onset to arrival at the hospital, received more extensive aortic arch repair, and showed a relatively lower early mortality. These findings suggest that there may be a huge survivor bias in patients with ATAAD in China, more efforts should be made to promote prehospital emergency care and preoperative management of Chinese ATAAD patients. (A multicenter registration study of aortic dissection in China; ChiCTR1800015338).

It Is Advisable to Control the Duration of Hypothermia Circulatory Arrest During Aortic Dissection Surgery: Single-Center Experience.

Objective: The duration of hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) is one of the important factors affecting the prognosis of arch surgery, which is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of HCA duration on early prognosis in type A aortic dissection (TAAD) patients who underwent arch surgery in our center. Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent surgical treatment for TAAD in Fuwai Hospital from January 2013 to December 2018 were included in this study and divided into four quartile groups based on HCA time. Baseline characteristics, perioperative indicators, and early mortality were statistically analyzed by propensity score matching (PSM) and restricted cubic spline (RCS) method. Perioperative adverse events were confirmed according to the American STS database and Penn classification. Results: About 1,018 consecutive patients (mean age 49.11 ± 1.4 years, male 74.7%) with TAAD treated surgically were eventually included in this study. After PSM, with the prolongation of HCA time, the surgical mortality rates of group [2,15], (15,18], (18,22], and (22,73] were 4.1, 6.6, 7.8, and 10.9% with p = 0.041, respectively. As shown in RCS, the mortality rate increased sharply after the HCA time exceeded 22 min. And from the subgroup analysis, the HCA time of 22 min or less was associated with better clinical outcomes (OR 2.09, 95%CI 1.25-3.45, p = 0.004). Conclusions: The early mortality increases significantly with the duration of HCA time when arch surgery was performed. And multiple systems throughout the body can be adversely affected.

A New Aortic Arch Dissection Classification: The Fuwai Classification.

Aims: We describe a new aortic arch dissection (AcD) classification, which we have called the Fuwai classification. We then compare the clinical characteristics and long-term prognoses of different classifications. Methods: All AcD patients who underwent surgical procedures at Fuwai Hospital from 2010 to 2015 were included in the study. AcD procedures are divided into three types: Fuwai type Cp, Ct, and Cd. Type Cp is defined as the innominate artery or combined with the left carotid artery involved. Type Cd is defined as the left subclavian artery or combined with the left carotid artery involved. All other AcD surgeries are defined as type Ct. The Chi-square test was adopted for the pairwise comparison among the three types. Kaplan-Meier was used for the analysis of long-term survival and survival free of reoperation. Results: In total, 1,063 AcD patients were enrolled from 2010 to 2015: 54 patients were type Cp, 832 were type Ct, and 177 were type Cd. The highest operation proportion of Cp, Ct and Cd were partial arch replacement, total arch replacement, and TEVAR. The surgical mortality in type Ct was higher compared to type Cd (Ct vs. Cd = 9.38 vs. 1.69%, p < 0.01) and type Cp (Ct vs. Cp = 9.38 vs. 1.85%, p = 0.06). There was no difference in surgical mortality of type Cp and Cd (p = 0.93). There were no significant differences in the long-term survival rates (p = 0.38) and free of aorta-related re-operations (p = 0.19). Conclusion: The Fuwai classification is used to distinguish different AcDs. Different AcDs have different surgical mortality and use different operation methods, but they have similar long-term results.

New-Onset Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Total Arch Repair Is Associated With Increased In-Hospital Mortality.

Background It is well established that postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is associated with adverse postoperative outcomes after major cardiac operations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of new-onset POAF after successful total arch repair surgery and the association between POAF and in-hospital mortality. Methods and Results All consecutive patients undergoing total arch repair from September 2012 to December 2019 in Fuwai hospital were enrolled (n=1280). Patients diagnosed with preoperative atrial fibrillation were excluded. POAF was diagnosed as the new-onset atrial fibrillation or flutter for more than 5 minutes based on continuous electrocardiogram monitoring. A logistic regression model was used to determine predictors of in-hospital mortality. Multivariable adjustment, inverse probability of treatment weighting, and propensity score matching were used to adjust for confounders. POAF was diagnosed in 32.3% (411/1271) of this cohort population. The occurrence of new-onset POAF was associated with age (odds ratio [OR], 1.05; 95% CI, 1.04-1.06; P<0.001), male sex (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52-0.98; P=0.035), and surgery duration (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.12-1.28; P<0.001). The in-hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with POAF than those without POAF (10.7% versus 2.4%, P<0.001). Inverse probability of treatment weighting and propensity score matching analyses confirmed the results. The increased in-hospital mortality in POAF group still existed among subgroup analysis based on different age, sex, hypertension, smoking, and hypokalemia, combined with cardiac surgery, and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Conclusions More careful attention should be given to POAF after total arch repair surgery. The incidence of POAF after total arch repair surgery was 32.3% and associated with increased in-hospital mortality. The elderly female patient who experienced longer operation duration was at highest risk for POAF.

Surgical Interventions Are Effective for Treating Unruptured Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysms.

Background: This study investigates the optimal management for unruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysms (USVAs) combined with other cardiovascular lesions. Methods: This retrospective study examined 33 USVA patients who underwent surgical repair from February 1, 2007 to January 31, 2012. We analyzed the surgical procedures and the patients' quality of life after surgery. Additionally, echocardiography follow-up was performed before and after the operation. Results: Most USVAs (87.8%) originated in the right coronary sinus. Aside from one patient who was preoperatively misdiagnosed as having a ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SVA). USVAs of the right coronary sinus were addressed by reinforcing this sinus with a Dacron patch through the right ventricle. USVAs were corrected by aortotomy using an autogenous pericardium patch when they originated in the non-coronary or left coronary sinus. Thirty patients (90.9%) were followed up for 22-119 months. No early death, residual fistula or SVA recurrence were found during the follow-up period. They all had a good quality of life and good heart function (New York Heart Association class I-II). Conclusions: Active surgical repair of an USVA can be achieved with satisfactory results in patients combined with other cardiovascular lesions.

Optimal Degree of Hypothermia in Total Arch Replacement for Type A Aortic Dissection.

Background: We sought to investigate the best degree of hypothermic cardiac arrest (HCA) in type A aortic dissection (TAAD) with a cohort of 1,018 cases receiving total arch replacement from 2013 to 2018 in Fuwai Hospital. Method: The cohort was divided by DHCA (≤24°C, n = 580) vs. MHCA (>24°C, n = 438), and interquartile range (Q1-Q4). Primary endpoints included mortality, stroke, paraplegia, and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), which were summarized as composite major outcomes (CMO). Results: The Odds Ratio (OR) of CMO for MHCA was 0.7 (95% CI: 0.5-1.0, p = 0.06) (unadjusted) and 0.6 (95% CI: 0.4-1.0, p = 0.055) (adjusted). DHCA group tended to have a significantly longer CPB time (175.6 ± 45.6 vs. 166.8 ± 49.8 min, p = 0.003), longer hospital stay (16.0 ± 13.6 vs. 13.5 ± 6.8 days, p < 0.001), and ICU stay [5.0 (3.9-6.6) vs. 3.8 (2.0-5.6) days]. A significantly greater blood loss was observed in DHCA group, with a greater requirement for RBC and platelet transfusion. Of note, MHCA showed a significant protective effect (60% risk reduction) for older patients (above 60 years) (OR 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2-0.8; p = 0.009). By quartering, Q1 had significantly higher mortality (10.9%) than Q4 (5.2%) (p = 0.035). For other comparisons, the gap was significantly widened in quartering between Q1 and Q4, i.e., the lower the temperature, the worse the outcomes, and vice versa. Propensity score matching and sensitivity analyses confirmed the above findings. Conclusions: A paradigm change from DHCA to MHCA may be encouraged in TAAD arch operation, especially for the elderly.

A Novel Sutureless Integrated Stented (SIS) Graft Prosthesis for Type A Aortic Dissection: A Pilot Study for a Prospective, Multicenter Clinical Trial.

AIMS: Various kinds of surgical strategies and prostheses have been advocated to improve short-term and long-term outcomes in type A aortic dissection (TAAD). Large-scale repair of the pathological aorta is hard to generalize due to complex procedures. We aimed to investigate the performance, effectiveness and safety of a novel Sutureless Integrated Stented (SIS) graft prosthesis in TAAD patients undergoing total arch replacement (TAR) and frozen elephant trunk (FET) implantation surgery. METHODS: All patients admitted to Fuwai Hospital were prospectively screened. Urgent or scheduled surgery was arranged for eligible patients. The primary endpoint was operative mortality. Key secondary endpoints included stroke, spinal cord injury, unexpected aortic reoperation, and 1-year survival. Discharged patients were followed up with computed tomography angiography and transthoracic echocardiography at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. Performance, effectiveness and safety analyses were performed in those patients. RESULTS: Between August 1 and September 3, 2020, ten TAAD patients were enrolled in this study and successfully implanted with the SIS graft prosthesis. The median (IQR) age was 56.50 (43.75, 66.75) years (range from 31 to 75), and seven patients were male (70.0%). All patients underwent ascending aorta replacement + TAR + FET and additional procedures when necessary. The median (IQR) operation time, cardiopulmonary bypass time and cross clamp time were 270.50 (218.50, 312.50), 110.00 (88.00, 125.75), 69.50 (51.25, 82.75) min, respectively. Of note, the median (IQR) circulatory arrest time was 9.00 (8.00, 9.00) min (range from 4 to 12). The median (IQR) lowest nasopharyngeal temperature was 26.75 (25.98, 27.67) °C. Follow-up was 100% completed. During the 1-year follow-up, no patients died, no severe adverse events occurred, and rate of freedom from aortic reintervention was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The SIS graft prosthesis was implanted in a novel sutureless way, which simplified the surgical procedure, shortened the circulatory arrest time and avoided deep hypothermia. The preliminary clinical outcomes and follow-up outcomes demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of this prosthesis. A large-scale trial is being conducted to further assess these findings.

Effect of heated humidified ventilation on intraoperative core temperature and prognosis in normothermic thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate whether the heated humidified ventilation can effectively maintain core temperature and improve prognosis in normothermic thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm repair surgery. METHODS: Patients who were scheduled for normothermic thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm repair surgery were randomized into the group using heated humidified ventilation combined with water blanket and the group using water blanket only. During the operation, the core temperature will be measured every 30 minutes. We analyzed intraoperative core-temperature, coagulation function and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: HHV&WB group showed lesser decrease in core temperature than WB groups in the first two hours, while WB group had a higher body temperature at the third to fifth hour (2-hour: 35.45±0.47 vs. 35.24±0.59 °C, P=0.284; 5-hour: 35.38±0.70 vs. 35.51±0.88 °C, P=0.664). There was less blood loss, dosage of coagulation drugs and in-hospital mortality (13.33% vs. 20.00%, P=1) in the HHV&WB group. CONCLUSIONS: Heated humidified ventilation can improve the prognosis of normothermic thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm repair surgery to some extent, but it can only maintain the core temperature during the first 2 hours.

A New Graft for Total Arch Replacement With Frozen Elephant Trunk in Type A Dissection.

In this study, we propose a novel Sutureless Integrated Stented graft, greatly simplifying the distal aortic anastomosis and reducing the deep hypothermic circulatory arrest time in the setting of total arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk for type A aortic dissection.

Subacute/chronic type A aortic dissection: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to outline the clinical presentations, surgical treatment and outcomes of subacute/chronic type A aortic dissection (TAAD). METHODS: A total of 1092 patients with TAAD were enrolled retrospectively and divided into 2 groups based on acuity of TAAD (181 subacute/chronic vs 911 acute cases of TAAD). Early and late outcomes were investigated and compared using propensity score matching. RESULTS: The top 3 symptoms for subacute/chronic TAAD were chest tightness (80/181, 44.2%), mild pain (65/181, 35.9%) and sweating (58/181, 32.0). Fifteen (15/181, 8.3%) patients were symptom-free. Typical symptoms of acute TAAD were less common in patients with subacute/chronic TAAD such as intense/sharp pain (48/181, 26.5%), tear-like pain (35/181, 19.3%) and radiating pain (30/181, 16.6%). Patients with subacute/chronic TAAD had better early and late survival rates, with an early mortality rate of 6.1% (11/181) compared to 11.6% (106/911) of those with acute TAAD (P = 0.038). Before propensity score matching, survival at 1, 3 and 5 years was 93.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 89.4-96.9%], 88.4% (95% CI 83.1-93.9%) and 86.4% (95% CI 80.1-93.1%) for subacute/chronic TAAD and 86.9% (95% CI 84.7-89.2%), 82.6% (95% CI 79.9-85.3%) and 79.0% (95% CI 75.5-82.7%) for acute TAAD, respectively (P = 0.039). The propensity score matching analysis substantiated the foregoing results. CONCLUSIONS: Subacute/chronic TAAD was clearly distinct from acute TAAD in terms of clinical presentations and had better early and late survival rates. Current surgical strategies for acute TAAD are applicable to subacute/chronic TAAD with excellent outcomes.

Surgical Management and Outcomes of the Aortic Root in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the short- and middle-term outcomes of different aortic root managements in the setting of acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD): aortic root repair (ARR group), untouched aortic root (UAR group), and Bentall procedure (Bentall group). METHODS: The study enrolled 673 patients (512 men; age 48.8 ± 11.2 years) between 2010 and 2015. Survival, aortic growth, reintervention, and valve function were compared between the 3 groups. RESULTS: The ages were 50.6 ± 9.9, 49.8 ± 12.2, and 44.0 ± 12.0 years for ARR, UAR, and Bentall groups, respectively (P < .01). The mean follow-up time was 3.0 years (range, 0.5-6.8 years). The aortic root diameters in the groups were 39.0 ± 5.1 mm in ARR, 38.2 ± 4.4 mm in UAR, and 50.3 ± 6.2 mm in Bentall (P < .01). The overall 30-day mortality was 11.7% (79 of 673). There was no difference in 30-day mortality between the 3 groups (P = .58). The estimated aortic root growth rate was 0.60 ± 0.17 mm/y for ARR and 0.50 ± 0.14 mm/y for UAR. During follow-up, 28 patients (4.1%) died. Differences in 5-year survival between the 3 groups did not reach statistical significance (P = .82). Aortic insufficiency greater than grade 2+ developed in 15 patients (2.2%). There was no significant difference between ARR and UAR in freedom from aortic insufficiency greater than grade 2+ (P = .56). None of the patients experienced new dissection or underwent proximal reoperation during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Conservative techniques (ARR and UAR) and aggressive root replacement can both be performed with excellent short- and middle-term outcomes in ATAAD. Thus, an individualized approach in managing the aortic root for ATAAD is recommended based on the patient's general condition, root pathology, and the surgeon's preference.

Is valve-sparing root replacement a safe option in acute type A aortic dissection? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: There are conflicting views regarding the status of valve-sparing root replacement (VSRR) as a proper treatment for acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD). Our goal was to compare the early and late outcomes of VSRR versus those of the Bentall procedure in patients with AAAD. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of 9 studies to compare the outcomes of VSRR with those of the Bentall procedure in patients with AAAD. We focused on the following issues: early and late mortality rates, re-exploration, thromboembolization/bleeding events, infective endocarditis and reintervention rates. RESULTS: A total of 706 patients with AAAD who underwent aortic root surgery were analysed; 254 patients were treated with VSRR and 452 with the Bentall procedure. VSRR was associated with a reduced risk of early death [odds ratio (OR) 0.34; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.21-0.57] and late death (OR 0.34; 95% CI 0.21-0.57) compared with the Bentall procedure. No statistically significant difference was observed between the VSRR and Bentall groups with pooled ORs (OR 0.77; 95% CI 0.47-1.27, OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.32-1.18 and OR 0.71; 95% CI 0.23-2.15) for re-exploration, thromboembolization/bleeding and postoperative infective endocarditis, respectively. An increased risk of reintervention was observed for the VSRR compared to the Bentall group (OR 3.79; 95% CI 1.27-11.30). The pooled rate of reintervention incidence was 1.6% (95% CI 0.0-3.7%) and 0.4% (95% CI 0.0-1.3%) for the VSRR and the Bentall groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: VSRR in patients with AAAD can be performed in experienced centres with excellent short- and long-term outcomes compared to those with the Bentall procedure and thus should be recommended especially for active young patients.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of isolated abdominal aortic dissection.

OBJECTIVE: Isolated abdominal aortic dissection (IAAD) has remained poorly understood because of its rarity. We explored the prevalence, clinical characteristics, risk factors, imaging characteristics, and treatment strategy of IAAD to facilitate its diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of 17 studies, with single-arm-based and network meta-analysis as the main data synthesis method. The Medline, Embase, and Cochrane library were searched from their inception to July 2018. A total of 9163 patients with aortic disease were enrolled, with IAAD identified in 491 patients. RESULTS: The pooled prevalence of IAAD among cases of aortic dissection overall, type B aortic dissection, and type A aortic dissection was 1.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9%-3.4%), 4.1% (95% CI, 2.5%-6.6%), and 2.0% (95% CI, 0.7%-3.9%), respectively. Abdominal pain was the most common symptom (50.8%), followed by back pain (30.5%), and chest pain (21.7%). Up to 41.0% of the patients with IAAD did not present with any clinical symptoms, and up to 71.0% of these patients had negative findings on physical examination. The top three most prevalent risk factors for IAAD were hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and smoking. Most cases of IAAD were limited to the aorta inferior to the renal arteries (81.7%), and the average aortic diameter was 4 cm. No statistically significant difference was observed between open surgery, endovascular aortic repair, and conservative management for both early and late mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The results from the present meta-analysis regarding IAAD support the following conclusions and recommendations. First, IAAD is rare and predominantly affects males. Second, symptoms (pain) might or might not be present, and physical findings will rarely be found on abdominal examination. Third, hypertension is the most prevalent risk factor. Fourth, most cases IAAD will be infrarenal. Finally, a complication-specific approach, similar to that for type B aortic dissection, would be appropriate.

Midterm results of coronary artery bypass graft surgery after synchronous or staged carotid revascularization.

OBJECTIVE: In the absence of randomized trials, the optimal approach to managing coexisting severe carotid and coronary diseases remains controversial. The aim of this study was to present the midterm follow-up results of patients who received a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) after carotid revascularization and to compare the risk-adjusted outcomes of two approaches to carotid revascularization in the CABG population in a single center. METHODS: From January 2011 to December 2016, 245 patients underwent carotid revascularization within 90 days before CABG in Fuwai Hospital, including 32 who received combined carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and CABG (CEA-CABG), 208 who received staged carotid artery stenting (CAS) before CABG (CAS before CABG), and 5 who underwent a hybrid procedure of carotid stenting and coronary surgery (combined CAS-CABG). The primary composite end points were all-cause death, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI). Therefore, the multivariable logistic regression analyses and propensity score-adjusted multiphase hazard function model were used to analyze the association between the types of revascularization, complications, and risk-adjusted mortality. RESULTS: One patient (3.13%) died 6 months after the CABG surgery in the combined CEA-CABG group. In the staged CAS group, 9 patients (4.33%) died after CABG surgery, including 3, 2, and 4 patients who died within 30 days, 1 year, and after 1 year (mean time after CABG surgery, 39 months; adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.188; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.251-19.093; P = .479), respectively. Stroke was observed in three patients (9.38%) in the combined CEA group and in 12 patients (5.77%) in the staged CAS group (OR, 0.625; 95% CI, 0.133-2.935; P = .552). The rates of MI were 6.25% and 7.21% for the combined and staged groups, respectively (adjusted OR, 1.249; 95% CI, 0.250-6.324; P = .787). In addition, composite events occurred in five (15.63%) and 33 patients (15.87%) in the combined and staged groups, respectively (adjusted OR, 1.362, 95% CI, 0.455-4.077; P = .581). No statistically significant differences were observed in the overall midterm incidences of mortality, stroke, MI, and composite events. CONCLUSIONS: Carotid revascularization is a safe and effective treatment for patients with concomitant carotid and cardiac disease. Combined CEA-CABG and staged CAS-CABG are associated with similar risks of mortality, stroke, or MI in the midterm outcomes.

Hybrid and frozen elephant trunk for total arch replacement in DeBakey type I dissection.

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to determine whether hybrid aortic repair yields superior outcomes compared with the conventional surgical approach for DeBakey type I aortic dissection. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients with DeBakey type I dissection admitted to Fuwai Hospital between January 2010 and December 2016 showed that 815 patients (86.9%) underwent open total arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk (frozen elephant trunk group) and 122 (13.1%) underwent hybrid aortic arch repair without deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (hybrid group). We selected 109 pairs of patients for propensity score matching. Outcomes included early postoperative death, a composite of complications, dissected aorta remodeling, long-term survival, and freedom from reoperation. RESULTS: Early mortality and complication rates were lower in the hybrid group, but the difference was not statistically significant (9.2% vs 17.4%, P = .073; 15.6% vs 25.7%, P = .066). The rates of postoperative renal insufficiency was significantly lower in the hybrid group than in the frozen elephant trunk group (22.9% vs 38.5%, P = .013); liver insufficiency and paraplegia were significantly lower in the hybrid group than in the frozen elephant trunk group (20.2% vs 33.9%, P = .022; 0% vs 6.4%, P = .014). After matched, the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survivals were 87.6%, 86.3%, and 82.2%, respectively, in the hybrid group and 80.7%, 76.5%, and 74.6% (P = .071), respectively, in the frozen elephant trunk group. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid aortic arch repair is a viable alternative treatment for patients with DeBakey type I aortic dissection, which improves outcomes and promotes remodeling of the dissected thoracic aorta.

Normothermic iliac perfusion improves early outcomes after thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with normothermic iliac perfusion. METHODS: One hundred and ninety patients who underwent aortic replacement for the Crawford type II thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm between January 2005 and June 2017 were assigned to 2 groups: normothermic iliac perfusion (group A, n = 75) and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (group B, n = 115). We selected 58 pairs of patients for propensity score matching. We analysed early operative death, a composite of complications and mid-term survival. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, no early operative death occurred in group A (0.0%), and group B had 4 cases of early operative death (6.9%), with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.047). The composite of complications was reported in 11 patients in group A (21.0%) and in 21 patients in group B (36.2%) (P = 0.038). Age >50 years [odds ratio (OR) 6.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.32-16.36; P = 0.020], deep hypothermia (OR 12.13, 95% CI 1.64-23.13; P = 0.003) and chronic renal insufficiency (OR 8.21, 95% CI 2.34-43.33; P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for early operative death. The 3-year, 5-year and 7-year survival rates were 98.3%, 98.3% and 86.9% in group A and 86.9%, 86.9% and 86.9% in group B, respectively (P = 0.471). The 7-year cumulative incidence function rates for reintervention were 0.026% in group A and 0.048% in group B (P = 0.625). CONCLUSIONS: Normothermic iliac perfusion provides a viable alternative for thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, which reduced early operative death and composited complications.

Development and validation of a nomogram predicting the probability of type a aortic dissection at a diameter below 55 mm: A retrospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: The study aims to build and validate a nomogram for estimating the probability of patients developing type A aortic dissection at a diameter less than 55 mm. METHODS: A primary cohort of 896 patients diagnosed with acute type A aortic dissection by computed tomography angiography (CTA) were used for model development, with data collected between January 2005 and March 2012. The subjects were assigned to two groups based on ascending aorta diameter (group A<55 mm, Group B ≥ 60 mm). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed for the development of the prediction model. Demographic factors, as well as clinical and imaging characteristics were taken into account. The resulting nomogram was evaluated for performance traits, e.g. calibration, discrimination and clinical usefulness. After internal validation, the nomogram was further assessed in a different cohort containing 385 consecutive subjects examined between January 2013 and December 2015. RESULTS: The individualized prediction nomogram included 9 predictors derived from univariate and multivariable analyses, including gender, age, weight, hypertension, liver cyst, renal cyst, bicuspid aortic valve, and bovine arch. Those predictors were double confirmed with Lasso regression. Internal validation showed good discrimination of the model with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.854 and good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, P = 0.876). Application of the nomogram in the validation cohort still revealed good discrimination (AUC = 0.802) and good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, P = 0.398). Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the prediction nomogram was clinically useful. CONCLUSIONS: The current work presents a prediction nomogram incorporating demographical data as well as clinical and imaging characteristics that could help identify patients who might develop type A aortic dissection at a diameter less than 55 mm with convenience.