[Perioperative Management for Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases in General Thoracic Surgery].

For general thoracic surgeons, perioperative management for the prevention of cardiac complications is important because patients undergoing general thoracic surgery often have risk factors for cardiac diseases. Some risk-scoring systems can estimate a patient's risk of perioperative cardiac complication. Surgery-specific risk for intrathoracic surgery is intermediate. Preoperative evaluation for coronary artery disease should be considered only in high-risk patients based on the risk-scoring system and surgery- specific risk. If coronary artery disease is detected in a preoperative patient, the treatment, such as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) should not be preoperatively performed as much as possible, because it requires antithrombotic therapy for at least a couple of months and may cause a delay for general thoracic surgical treatment. In high-risk patients for perioperative coronary artery disease, the 12-lead electrocardiogram is recommended for part of routine clinical care during the early postoperative period. The development of perioperative heart failure after noncardiac surgery is a high risk of operative mortality and hospital readmission. Transthoracic echocardiography should not be routinely performed as a preoperative examination, it can help detect underlying heart failure and valvular diseases and contribute to more appropriate postoperative management. Frequent monitoring of vital signs, oxygen saturation, and chest X-rays are important for the early detection of postoperative heart failure.

[Analysis of Surgical Margin Recurrence Following Segmentectomy for Early-stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer].

BACKGROUND: Surgical margin recurrence following segmentectomy is a critical issue because it may have been avoided by lobectomy. METHODS: Between January 2000 and December 2018, we retrospectively investigated 199 patients who underwent segmentectomy for c-StageⅠ non-small cell lung cancer at our hospital. RESULTS: Recurrence occurred in 20 cases, of which 3 cases had surgical margin recurrence. In our previous study, the recurrence risk factor after segmentectomy was radiologic solid tumor size( cut-off value 1.5 cm). Of the 130 patients in the low-risk group with radiologic solid tumor size of less than 1.5 cm, five had any recurrence, three of which had surgical margin recurrence. In the high-risk group with radiologic solid tumor size of 1.5 cm or more, no surgical margin recurrence was observed. Three cases of surgical margin recurrence were accompanied by lepidic components, and the tumors were difficult to identify intraoperatively and were located close to adjacent areas. CONCLUSION: Surgical margin recurrence may be avoided by carefully considering the segments to be resected and improving the method for identifying the intersegmental plane.

The C-reactive protein to albumin ratio is a prognostic factor for stage I non-small cell lung cancer in elderly patients: JACS1303.

PURPOSE: To establish the prognostic significance of C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin in octogenarians with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on the study of the Japanese Association for Chest Surgery (JACS 1303). METHODS: A total of 618 octogenarians with pathological stage I NSCLC, who underwent pulmonary resection, were included in the analysis. We conducted multivariable Cox regression analysis to evaluate the CRP to albumin ratio (CAR) as a potential prognostic factor. Other clinicopathological factors were also evaluated. RESULTS: The median age was 82 years. Operations included lobectomy (n = 388; 62.8%) segmentectomy (n = 95; 15%), and wedge resection (n = 135; 22%). Pathological stage IA was diagnosed in 380 (61.5%) patients. The 3-year (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CS) rates were 86.7% and 94.6%, respectively. OS was significantly higher for patients with low CAR (< 0.106) than for those with high CAR (≥ 0.106) (hazard ratio = 3.13, 95% confidence interval: 1.99-4.93, p < 0.0001). Univariate analysis identified sex, poor performance status, smoking status, comorbidity, solid tumor, histology, high Glasgow prognostic scale, and high CAR as significant prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis identified only the CAR as a significant prognostic factor for both OS and CS. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis of the nationwide data demonstrated that the CAR is a useful prognostic factor for elderly patients with stage I NSCLC.

[Emergent Treatment for Life-threating Hemoptysis].

Life-threatening hemoptysis results significant airway obstruction, abnormal gas exchange. When a patient presents with life-threatening hemoptysis, the initial steps are to provide adequate oxygenation and ventilation, secure the airway, position the patient lateral decubitus with bleeding side down, and perform initial treatments to control the bleeding. Bronchoscopy is an important early procedure and can be both diagnostic and therapeutic. For patients who are stable, contrast chest computed tomography (CT) provides diagnostic information before angiography. In most cases, initial measures are successful, allowing time for a more detailed diagnostic investigation and generation of a therapeutic plan. For most patients, arteriography is appropriate for identifying and embolizing a responsible lesion. For patients with refractory life-threatening hemoptysis, repeating previous interventions or evaluating for surgery is appropriate. Patients with aneurysms should be evaluated for urgent surgery.

Survival of Octogenarians with Early-Stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer is Comparable Between Wedge Resection and Lobectomy/Segmentectomy: JACS1303.

BACKGROUND: Anatomic resection with lymph node dissection or sampling is the standard treatment for early non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and wedge resection is an option for compromised patients. This study aimed to determine whether wedge resection can provide comparable prognoses for elderly patients with NSCLC. METHODS: The study analyzed the clinicopathologic findings and surgical outcomes during a median follow-up period of 39.6 months for 156 patients with solid dominant (consolidation-to-tumor ratio > 0.5) small (whole tumor size ≤ 2 cm) NSCLC among 892 patients 80 years of age or older with medically operable lung cancer between April 2015 and December 2016. RESULTS: The 3-year overall survival (OS) rates after wedge resection and after segmentectomy plus lobectomy did not differ significantly (86.5 %; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 74.6-93.0 % vs 83.7 % 95 % CI, 74.0-90.0 %; P = 0.92). Multivariable Cox regression analysis of OS with propensity scores showed that the surgical procedure was not an independent prognostic predictor (hazard ratio [HR], 0.84; 95 % CI, 0.39-1.8; P = 0.64). The 3-year OS rates were slightly better after wedge resection for 97 patients who could tolerate lobectomy than after segmentectomy plus lobectomy (89.4 %; 95 % CI, 73.8-95.9 % vs 75.8 %; 95 % CI, 62.0-85.2 %; P = 0.14). The cumulative incidence of other causes for death was marginally higher after segmentectomy plus lobectomy than after wedge resection (P = 0.079). CONCLUSIONS: Wedge resection might be equivalent to lobectomy or segmentectomy for selected patients 80 years of age or older with early-stage NSCLC who can tolerate lobectomy.

Impact of postoperative complications on outcomes of second surgery for second primary lung cancer.

PURPOSE: The best surgical approach for second primary lung cancer remains a subject of debate. The purpose of this study was to review the postoperative complications after second surgery for second primary lung cancer and to investigate the outcomes based on these complications. METHODS: The clinical data of 105 consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary resection for multiple primary lung cancers between January, 1996 and December, 2017, were reviewed according to the Martini-Melamed criteria. RESULTS: After the second surgery, low body mass index (BMI) (< 18.5 kg/m2) (P = 0.004) and high Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) (P = 0.002) were independent predictors of postoperative complications. Survival analysis revealed the 5-year overall survival rates of 74.5% and 61.4% for patients without postoperative complications and those with postoperative complications (P = 0.044), respectively, but the 5-year cancer-specific survival rates of 82.5% and 80.0% (P = 0.926), respectively. During this period, there were significantly more respiratory-related deaths of patients with complications than of those without complications (P = 0.011). CONCLUSION: Surgical intervention is feasible and potentially effective for second primary lung cancer but may not achieve positive perioperative and long-term outcomes for patients with a low BMI or a high CCI. Treatment options should be considered carefully for these patients.

Left upper lobectomy is a risk factor for cerebral infarction after pulmonary resection: a multicentre, retrospective, case-control study in Japan.

PURPOSE: The anatomical site of resected lobes may influence postoperative cerebral infarction. The objective of the current study was to determine if left upper pulmonary lobectomy is a risk factor for postoperative cerebral infarction. METHODS: This was a retrospective case-control study in patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy from 2004 to 2013 in Japan. We retrospectively identified 610 patients from 153 institutions who had developed postoperative cerebral infarction following pulmonary lobectomy. The control group consisted of 773 patients who underwent lobectomy without cerebral infarction during a randomly selected single month in 2009 at the same institutions. RESULTS: Factors associated with cerebral infarction were age [10-year intervals, odds ratio (OR): 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23-1.73; p < 0.001], male sex (OR 1.92; 95% CI 1.29-2.86; p = 0.001), presence of comorbidities (OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.35-2.44; p < 0.001), perioperative anti-platelet or anti-coagulant drug use (OR 1.71; 95% CI 1.20-2.45; p = 0.003), and lobectomy. Subgroup analyses revealed that cerebral infarction was strongly associated with left upper lobectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that left upper lobectomy is associated with a higher risk of cerebral infarction than other types of lobectomy, particularly in the early postoperative period.

Correction to: Left upper lobectomy is a risk factor for cerebral infarction after pulmonary resection: a multicentre, retrospective, case-control study in Japan.

The original article can be found online.

p53 plays a crucial role in endothelial dysfunction associated with hyperglycemia and ischemia.

p53 is a guardian of the genome that protects against carcinogenesis. There is accumulating evidence that p53 is activated with aging. Such activation has been reported to contribute to various age-associated pathologies, but its role in vascular dysfunction is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether activation of endothelial p53 has a pathological effect in relation to endothelial function. We established endothelial p53 loss-of-function and gain-of-function models by breeding endothelial-cell specific Cre mice with floxed Trp53 or floxed Mdm2/Mdm4 mice, respectively. Then we induced diabetes by injection of streptozotocin. In the diabetic state, endothelial p53 expression was markedly up-regulated and endothelium-dependent vasodilatation was significantly impaired. Impairment of vasodilatation was significantly ameliorated in endothelial p53 knockout (EC-p53 KO) mice, and deletion of endothelial p53 also significantly enhanced the induction of angiogenesis by ischemia. Conversely, activation of endothelial p53 by deleting Mdm2/Mdm4 reduced both endothelium-dependent vasodilatation and ischemia-induced angiogenesis. Introduction of p53 into human endothelial cells up-regulated the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), thereby reducing phospho-eNOS levels. Consistent with these results, the beneficial impact of endothelial p53 deletion on endothelial function was attenuated in EC-p53 KO mice with an eNOS-deficient background. These results show that endothelial p53 negatively regulates endothelium-dependent vasodilatation and ischemia-induced angiogenesis, suggesting that inhibition of endothelial p53 could be a novel therapeutic target in patients with metabolic disorders.

The impact of emphysema on surgical outcomes of early-stage lung cancer: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The presence of emphysema on computed tomography (CT) is associated with an increased frequency of lung cancer, but the postoperative outcomes of patients with pulmonary emphysema are not well known. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between the extent of emphysema and long-term outcomes, as well as mortality and postoperative complications, in early-stage lung cancer patients after pulmonary resection. METHODS: The clinical records of 566 consecutive lung cancer patients who underwent pulmonary resection in our department were retrospectively reviewed. Among these, the data sets of 364 pathological stage I patients were available. The associations between the extent of lung emphysema and long-term outcomes and postoperative complications were investigated. Emphysema was assessed on the basis of semiquantitative CT. Surgery-related complications of Grade ≥ II according to the Clavien-Dindo classification were included in this study. RESULTS: Emphysema was present in 63 patients. The overall survival and relapse-free survival of the non-emphysema and emphysema groups at 5 years were 89.0 and 61.3% (P < 0.001), respectively, and 81.0 and 51.7%, respectively (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, significant prognostic factors were emphysema, higher smoking index, and higher histologic grade (p < 0.05). Significant risk factors for poor recurrence-free survival were emphysema, higher smoking index, higher histologic grade, and presence of pleural invasion (P < 0.05). Regarding Grade ≥ II postoperative complications, pneumonia and supraventricular tachycardia were more frequent in the emphysema group than in the non-emphysema group (P = 0.003 and P = 0.021, respectively). CONCLUSION: The presence of emphysema affects the long-term outcomes and the development of postoperative complications in early-stage lung cancer patients.

[Resection of Multiple Thymic Carcinomas of the Thymus].

The patient was a 70-year-old woman who was found to have 2 mediastinal tumors on chest computed tomography(CT). One was located in the anterior mediastinum, and the other was in the upper mediastinum. Based on previous imaging studies, it was revealed that the 2 tumors had been increasing in size for 5 years. Thymectomy via median sternotomy was performed. Histopathologically, 3 tumors revealed to be in the thymus without direct invasion of the adjacent organs. All were thymic squamous cell carcinomas of 3.0×1.8×1.6 cm, 2.5×1.6×1.2 cm and 0.7 cm in size. No lymphatic invasion was observed and all tumors were pathologically stage I. Thus, we considered the 3 tumors were multi-centric primary tumors.

[Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma of the Anterior Mediastinum;Report of a Case].

A 69-year-old man was pointed out the anterior mediastinal mass on chest computed tomography (CT). Since the thymoma was suspected, thymectomy was performed through median sternotomy. The tumor was encapsulated and did not directly invade adjacent organs. The tumor was 8.3×5.3×8.2 cm in size. Histological examination of the resected specimen showed a large mucinous component and a small fibrous component, both containing many atypical spindle cells and multinuclear giant cells, and fat cells and atypical lipoblasts observed in a small part of the specimen. The postoperative pathological diagnosis was dedifferentiated liposarcoma. No relapse is observed without adjuvant therapy at 1 year after surgery.

[Thoracoscopic Left Upper Division Segmentectomy for Multiple Ground-glass Nodules Using Preoperative Virtual-assisted Lung Mapping].

Associated with an increase of small-sized lung cancer or metachronous second primary lung cancer, we have more opportunities to perform sublobar resection. Difficulties of identifying tumor location and appropriate surgical margin for small-sized ground-glass opacity (GGO) dominant lesions in thoracoscopic surgery is the big issue of sublobar resection. Virtual-assisted lung mapping (VAL-MAP) that makes markings on the lung surface through some peripheral bronchi by bronchoscopically projects intrapulmonary anatomy on the lung surface and literally draw a map. We report a case of thoracoscopic left upper division segmentectomy for multiple ground-glass nodules (GGNs) using preoperative VAL-MAP. A 65-year-old women who had undergone right upper lobectomy for primary lung cancer, and had multiple GGNs in the bilateral lungs was followed up as an outpatient. Eleven years after initial pulmonary resection, 2 lesions in the left upper division became bigger, and we decided to perform surgery for 4 GGNs in the left upper division including these 2 lesions. We preoperatively made bronchoscopic dye markings through B1+2c, B3a and B4a for in the left upper lobe. The 3 markings were intraoperatively identified. We decided the resection line based on the markings and performed thoracoscopic left upper division segmentectomy. The pathological diagnosis was minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, adenocarcinoma in situ and pneumonitis. Surgical margins were negative. VAL-MAP will assume an important role as an intraoperative navigation system for sublobar resection.

Clinical and Genetic Implications of Mutation Burden in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung.

BACKGROUND: Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is a major histological subtype of lung cancer. In this study, we investigated genomic alterations in LSCC and evaluated the clinical implications of mutation burden (MB) in LSCC. METHODS: Genomic alterations were determined in Japanese patients with LSCC (N = 67) using next-generation sequencing of 415 known cancer genes. MB was defined as the number of non-synonymous mutations per 1 Mbp. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein expression in cancer cells was evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: TP53 gene mutations were the most common alteration (n = 51/67, 76.1%), followed by gene alterations in cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2B (CDKN2B; 35.8%), CDKN2A (31.3%), phosphatase and tensin homolog (30.0%), and sex-determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2, 28.3%). Histological differentiation was significantly poorer in tumors with high MB (greater than or equal to the median MB) compared with that in tumors with low MB (less than the median MB; p = 0.0446). The high MB group had more tumors located in the upper or middle lobe than tumors located in the lower lobe (p = 0.0019). Moreover, cancers in the upper or middle lobes had significantly higher MB than cancers in the lower lobes (p = 0.0005), and tended to show higher PD-L1 protein expression (p = 0.0573). SOX2 and tyrosine kinase non-receptor 2 amplifications were associated with high MB (p = 0.0065 and p = 0.0010, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The MB level differed according to the tumor location in LSCC, suggesting that the location of cancer development may influence the genomic background of the tumor.

Common driver mutations and smoking history affect tumor mutation burden in lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Recent progress in genomic analysis using next-generation sequencing technology has enabled the comprehensive detection of mutations and tumor mutation burden (TMB) in patients. A high TMB (TMB-H) tumor is defined as one with high somatic mutational rates, which correlates with clinical responses to certain treatments such as immunotherapies. We determined TMB in lung adenocarcinoma and clarified the characteristics of patients with TMB-H in relation to common driver mutations and smoking history. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Genomic aberrations and TMB were determined in Japanese patients with lung adenocarcinoma (n = 100) using next-generation sequencing of 415 known cancer genes. TMB-H was defined as > 20 mutations per megabase (Mb) of sequenced DNA. RESULTS: The median TMB was 13.5 (5-33) mutations/Mb. Ten of 100 (10%) patients showed TMB-H, and the others showed low TMB (TMB-L). Only two of 10 (20%) patients with TMB-H had one of the common driver mutations (ALK and ERBB2 mutation), whereas 57 of 90 (63%) patients with TMB-L had one of the driver mutations, including ALK, EGFR, ERBB2, ROS, RET, and MET (P < 0.05). Notably, no EGFR mutation was observed in patients with TMB-H. Eight of 10 (80%) patients with TMB-H had recent smoking history, whereas only 17 of 90 (19%) patients with TMB-L had recent smoking history (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We found that TMB-H is associated with smoking history, whereas TMB-L is associated with the common driver mutations in lung adenocarcinoma, which may impact treatment strategies for these patients.

Survival after repeated surgery for lung cancer with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have a high risk of developing lung cancer, but few studies have investigated the long-term outcomes of repeated surgery in such patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes of repeated lung cancer surgery in patients with IPF. METHODS: From January 2001 to December 2015, 108 lung cancer patients with IPF underwent pulmonary resection at two institutions; 13 of these patients underwent repeated surgery for lung cancer, and their data were reviewed. RESULTS: The initial procedures of the 13 patients were lobectomy in 8, segmentectomy in 2, and wedge resection in 3. The subsequent procedures were wedge resection in 10 and segmentectomy in 3. The clinical stage of the second tumor was stage IA in 12 and stage IB in 1. Postoperatively, 3 patients (23.1%) developed acute exacerbation (AE) of IPF and died. The rate of decrease in percent vital capacity was significantly higher in patients with AE than in those without AE (p = 0.011). The 3-year overall survival rate was 34.6%. The causes of death were cancer-related in 7, AE of IPF in 3, and metachronous lung cancer in 1. CONCLUSIONS: Despite limited resection, a high incidence of AE was identified. The early and long-term outcomes of repeated surgery in lung cancer patients with IPF were poor because of the high risk of AE of IPF and lung cancer recurrence. Long-term intensive surveillance will be required to determine whether surgical intervention is justified in patients with multiple primary lung cancers and IPF.

Characteristics and timing of recurrence during postoperative surveillance after curative resection for lung adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: To establish the most effective methods of postoperative surveillance to detect early recurrence of lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: The subjects of this retrospective study were 485 patients with p-stage I-III lung adenocarcinoma, who underwent postoperative surveillance. We examined the sites and detection modes of recurrence and calculated the recurrence-free probabilities. Patients with stage I disease were divided into low- and high-risk recurrence groups using a risk score calculated by assigning points proportional to risk factor regression coefficients. RESULTS: Of the 112 patients with recurrence, 86 had intrathoracic recurrence. Routine computed tomography (CT) revealed recurrence in 60 patients. The recurrence-free probability curves showed that 95% of recurrences were identified within the first 4 years after resection in patients with stage II/III disease. In patients with stage I disease, the predictors of recurrence included male sex, positive pleural lavage cytology, moderate-to-poor differentiation, and visceral pleural invasion. Postoperative recurrences were detected throughout the follow-up period in the high-risk group. CONCLUSIONS: Routine chest CT plays an important role in the postoperative surveillance of lung adenocarcinoma. We recommend intensive follow-up during the early post-resection period for patients with advanced stage disease and long-term follow-up for high-risk patients with stage I disease.

[Perioperative Management for Prevention of Cardiac Complications in General Thoracic Surgery].

For general thoracic surgeons, perioperative management for prevention of cardiac complications is important because patients undergoing general thoracic surgery often have risk factors for cardiac disease. Sever cardiac failure should be detected and treated prior to surgery, and coronary artery may be examined in patients with risk factors for ischemic heart disease. Pulmonary resection sometimes causes right-sided heart failure due to reducing pulmonary vascular bed. In high-risk patients for rightsided heart failure, pulmonary artery pressure monitoring by right heart catheterization should be considered in addition to blood pressure and central venous pressure monitoring, and precise fluid management is required. Because perioperatively occurred myocardial infarction is sometimes lethal, patients with preoperatively identified significant coronary artery stenosis, percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting should be considered although surgeons need to be careful for the timing of surgery and anticoagulant therapy. Even if patients have no typical symptoms, perioperative myocardial infarction can be diagnosed 12-lead electrocardiogram and serum biomarkers. Cooperation with cardiologists is necessary for the treatment of perioperative myocardial infarction. Although arrhythmia is one of the major complications after general thoracic surgery, arrhythmia with hemodynamic instability should be immediately treated. Early diagnosis and management of cardiovascular events can minimize the consequences of these complications.

[Fatal Respiratory Failure Developed during Chemotherapy for Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma that Occurred Late after Lung Transplantation].

We report here a case of fatal respiratory failure developed during chemotherapy for diffuse large B cell lymphoma that occurred late after lung transplantation. 25-year- old man underwent lung transplantation from brain death donor for respiratory failure due to interstitial pneumonia at the age of 16 years old. Two years after transplantation, his respiratory function decreased gradually. Chronic lung allograft dysfunction including bronchiolitis obliterans( BOS) and restrictive allograft syndrome was suspected and immunosuppression was enhanced. Nine years after transplantation, he had abdominal pain and physical examination suggested intestinal obstruction. Small intestine endoscopy revealed an ulcer at jejunum and diffuse large B cell lymphoma( DLBCL) was finally diagnosed by biopsy. Chemotherapy was planned for lymphoma, but respiratory failure progressed just before chemotherapy. Chest computed tomography showed infiltrative shadow in right lung, so we suspected presence of lymphoma and chemotherapy was carried out. After chemotherapy, abnormal shadow in the right lung disappeared. Although chemotherapy was effective, respiratory failure progressed and he died. Pathological examination from autopsy showed mixture of BOS, diffuse alveolar damage, invasion of aspergillus and acute fibrinoid organizing pneumonia but no residual DLBCL was found in the lung.

[Endovascular Repair for Acute Phase of Retrograde Type A Aortic Dissection with an Entry in the Descending Aorta].

OBJECTIVE: Endovascular repair for retrograde type A aortic dissection with an entry in the descending aorta (RAAD) is challenging. We present early and mid- term results of endovascular repair for acute phase of RAAD by using commercially-available device. METHODS: From April 2012 to June 2014, 10 consecutive patients with acute phase of RAAD underwent endovascular repair in our hospital. Of them, 9 patients had emergency surgery within 24 hours after the onset. The other one patient had urgent surgery 3 days after the onset. In all patients, the entry tear was covered with TAG or conformable TAG. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all patients. No in-hospital mortality was experienced. In all patients, follow-up computed tomography images showed significant remodeling in the ascending aorta 3 months after surgery. During a median follow-up period of 19.5 months, no patients died and no re-intervention occurred. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with acute phase of RAAD, endovascular repair with commercially-available device can be safely performed and it provides sufficient remodeling in the ascending aorta early after surgery. This technique is an alternative to open repair in these patients.