Two-Stage Procedure for Infected Aortic Graft Pseudoaneurysm: 10-Year Follow Up after Omental Prosthesis Wrapping.

Prosthetic graft infections with mediastinitis following aortic surgery are rare, yet represent grave complications yielding high morbidity and mortality. We present the case of a 57-year-old female patient with past history of emergent surgery for iatrogenic Type A dissection treated by supracoronary ascending aortic replacement. Four months after the initial surgery, a sternal fistula had formed and due to severe bleeding emergent reoperation was required. Imaging and pathology on admission revealed an infected pseudoaneurysm at the distal aortic prosthesis and mediastinitis with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Rescue surgery was performed by means of a two-stage approach, with extensive debridement, graft replacement and continuous antiseptic lavage in a first step and an omental wrapping of the new prosthesis in a second stage 24 hours later. During 10 years of follow-up, no recurrent infection occurred. The operative approach and general considerations for management of infected pseudoaneurysms are discussed.

Long-term survival after composite mechanical aortic root replacement: a consecutive series of 448 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of different etiologies on the outcome and mortality after mechanical composite aortic root/ascending replacement. METHODS: From February 1998 to June 2011, 448 consecutive patients (358 men, age, 52.8 ± 12.3 years) underwent composite mechanical aortic root replacement. Of these 448 patients, 362 (80.8%) were treated for degenerative/atherosclerotic root/ascending aortic aneurysm (287 men, age, 53.0 ± 12.1 years), 65 (14.5%) for emergent acute type A aortic dissection (49 men, age, 51.0 ± 13.1 years), and 21 (4.7%) for active infective endocarditis (20 men, age, 46.5 ± 13.6 years); 15% (n = 68) were reoperative or redo procedures. RESULTS: The overall hospital mortality after composite root/ascending replacement was 6.7% (n = 30). It was 3.9% (n = 14) after elective/urgent aneurysm replacement, 20.0% (n = 13) after emergency repair for acute type A aortic dissection, and 14.3% for active infective endocarditis (n = 3). The overall 1-year mortality--as a measure of operative success--was 5.2% (n = 19) after elective/urgent degenerative/atherosclerotic root/ascending aortic aneurysm repair, 21.5% (n = 14) after emergency repair for acute type A aortic dissection, and 14.3% (n = 3) after active infective endocarditis (degenerative/atherosclerotic root/ascending aortic aneurysm vs acute type A aortic dissection, P = .03; degenerative/atherosclerotic root/ascending aortic aneurysm vs active infective endocarditis, P = .08; acute type A aortic dissection vs active infective endocarditis, P = .8). Long-term survival was 88.3% at 5 years and 72.2% at 10 years, with a linearized mortality rate after 30 days of 2.5%/patient-year. Long-term survival after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection and active infective endocarditis was 72% and 72.3% at 5 years and 64.9% and 62% at 10 years, respectively, with a linearized mortality rate of 2.6%/patient-year for acute type A aortic dissection and 3.7% for active infective endocarditis. Survival after composite root replacement after the first year paralleled that of an age- and gender-matched population, regardless of the etiology. Women appeared to have less favorable longevity. CONCLUSIONS: Composite root replacement remains a versatile choice for various pathologic features with excellent longevity and freedom from reoperation and should be strongly considered if conditions for valve-sparing repair are less than perfect.

Tratamiento quirúrgico de aneurismas de arco aórtico / Tratamento cirúrgico do aneurisma do arco aórtico / Surgical treatment of aneurysms of the aortic arch

La resolución de la patología del arco aórtico constituye un desafío quirúrgico. En el presente reporte se describen 3 casos, detallando las estrategias utilizadas en nuestro servicio para reemplazar el arco cuando se debe asociar a reemplazo de aorta ascendente por esternotomía o cuando se requiere reemplazo simultáneo de aorta descendente por toracotomía.

A resoluçâo da patologia do arco aórtico constitui um desafio cirúrgico. No presente relato descrevem-se 3 casos, detalhando as estratégias utilizadas em nosso serviço para substituir o arco quando e deve associar a substituiçâo da aorta ascendente por esternotomía ou quando é necessária uma substituiçâo da aorta descendente por toracotomía.

The resolution of aortic arch disease is a surgical challenge. This report describes 3 cases indicating the strategies used in our department to replace the arch combining the replacement of the ascending aorta by sternotomy or when it is necessary to simultaneously replace the descending aorta by thoracotomy.

Aneurisma micótico de la aorta ascendente tratado con parche de pericardio y epiploplastía / Mycotic aneurysm of the ascending aortic treated whith pericardial patch and omental pedicle graft

Se presenta el tratamiento de 1 caso de aneurisma micótico de aorta ascendente a cándida, ocurrido 3 meses después de un reemplazo valvular aórtico con prótesis mecánica. El mismo consistió en resección del aneurima con conservación de la prótesis, cierre de la brecha con parche de pericardio autólogo, epiploplastia y prolongado régimen antibiótico. (AU)

Aneurisma micótico de la aorta ascendente tratado con parche de pericardio y epiploplastía / Mycotic aneurysm of the ascending aortic treated whith pericardial patch and omental pedicle graft

Se presenta el tratamiento de 1 caso de aneurisma micótico de aorta ascendente a cándida, ocurrido 3 meses después de un reemplazo valvular aórtico con prótesis mecánica. El mismo consistió en resección del aneurima con conservación de la prótesis, cierre de la brecha con parche de pericardio autólogo, epiploplastia y prolongado régimen antibiótico.