Repair of Late Retrograde Type A Aortic Dissection After TEVAR: Causes and Management.

One of the most feared complications of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and hybrid arch repair is retrograde type A aortic dissection (RTAD). More than two-thirds of RTAD occurs in the immediate postoperative period and first postoperative month. In presentations beyond that point, progression of the native aortopathy must be considered. We report a late presentation of an RTAD seven months after hybrid repair of an aortic intramural hematoma with an ulcer-like projection, and review the causes and management of this TEVAR complication.

Traumatic brachiocephalic trunk pseudoaneurysm.

The surgical approach to a large pseudoaneurysm of the brachiocephalic trunk may be hazardous because of its high risk of rupture. An adequate vascular control is vital before attempting to manage the pseudoaneurysm. We describe a surgical technique using deep hypothermic circulatory arrest to repair a giant pseudoaneurysm of the brachiocephalic trunk with impending rupture and severe respiratory distress and superior vena cava compression secondary to multisystem trauma.

Blunt traumatic aortic injuries of the ascending aorta and aortic arch: a clinical multicentre study.

OBJECTIVE: To report the clinical and radiological characteristics, management and outcomes of traumatic ascending aorta and aortic arch injuries. METHODS: Historic cohort multicentre study including 17 major trauma patients with traumatic aortic injury from January 2000 to January 2011. RESULTS: The most common mechanism of blunt trauma was motor-vehicle crash (47%) followed by motorcycle crash (41%). Patients sustaining traumatic ascending aorta or aortic arch injuries presented a high proportion of myocardial contusion (41%); moderate or greater aortic valve regurgitation (12%); haemopericardium (35%); severe head injuries (65%) and spinal cord injury (23%). The 58.8% of the patients presented a high degree aortic injury (types III and IV). Expected in-hospital mortality was over 50% as defined by mean TRISS 59.7 (SD 38.6) and mean ISS 48.2 (SD 21.6) on admission. Observed in-hospital mortality was 53%. The cause of death was directly related to the ATAI in 45% of cases, head and abdominal injuries being the cause of death in the remaining 55% cases. Long-term survival was 46% at 1 year, 39% at 5 years, and 19% at 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: Traumatic aortic injuries of the ascending aorta/arch should be considered in any major thoracic trauma patient presenting cardiac tamponade, aortic valve regurgitation and/or myocardial contusion. These aortic injuries are also associated with a high incidence of neurological injuries, which can be just as lethal as the aortic injury, so treatment priorities should be modulated on an individual basis.

Aortic injuries in crush trauma patients: different mechanism, different management.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to report the clinical and radiological characteristics and early and long-term survival of a series of acute traumatic aortic injuries (ATAI) in crush trauma patients, and to compare such data with our last 30 years experience managing ATAI in deceleration non-crush trauma patients. METHODS: From January 1980 to December 2010, 5 consecutive ATAI in crush trauma and 69 in non-crush trauma patients were admitted at our institution. ISS, RTS and TRISS scores were similar in both groups. RESULTS: Overall in-hospital mortality was 24.3%. There was no in-hospital mortality in crush patients and 26.1% in non-crush patients (p=0.32). All aortic-related complications occurred in non-crush patients. Median follow-up was 129 months (range 3-350 months). Non-crush group survival was 76.8% at 1 year, 73.6% at 5 years, and 71.2%% at 10 years. There was no mortality during follow-up in the crush group. Mean (SD) peak creatine phosphokinase was significantly higher in crush group than in non-crush group: 7598 (3690) IU/L vs. 3645 (2506) IU/L; p=0.041. Incidence of acute renal injury was higher in crush trauma patients (100% vs. 36.2%; p=0.018). Low-severity injuries were more common in crush trauma patients (100% in crush patients vs. 43.5% in non-crush patients, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Aortic injuries in crush thoracic trauma patients seem to present in a different clinical scenario from aortic injuries in high-speed thoracic trauma thus requiring distinct considerations. When planning the initial management of aortic injuries in crush trauma, the increased risk of rhabdomiolysis and subsequent acute renal failure, as well as a tendency to develop lower-risk aortic wall injuries, must be considered.

Minimal traumatic aortic injuries: meaning and natural history.

OBJECTIVE Minimal aortic injuries (MAIs) are being recognized more frequently due to the increasing use of high-resolution diagnostic techniques. The objective of this case series review was to report the clinical and radiological characteristics and outcomes of a series of patients with MAI. METHODS From January 2000 to December 2011, 54 major blunt trauma patients were admitted to our institution with traumatic aortic injuries. Nine of them presented with MAI, whereas the remaining 45 patients suffered a significant aortic injury (SAI). RESULTS MAIs accounted for 17% of the overall traumatic aortic injuries in our series. Major trauma patients with MAI and SAI were similar regarding the presence of severe associated non-aortic injuries and the expected mortality calculated by injury severity score, revised trauma score and trauma injury severity score. There were no statistically significant differences in in-hospital mortality between MAI (22.2%) and SAI (30.2%). No death in the MAI group was aortic related, whereas five deaths in the SAI group were caused by an aortic complication. The survival of MAI patients was 77.8% at 1 and 5 years. There was no late mortality among MAI patients. The survival of SAI patients was 69.7% at 1 year and 63.6% at 5 and 10 years. None of the seven surviving patients with MAI presented a progression of the aortic injury. In six patients, the intimal tear completely healed in imaging controls, whereas one patient developed a small saccular pseudoaneurysm. CONCLUSIONS Blunt traumas presenting MAI are as severe as traumas that associate SAI and present similar in-hospital mortality. In contrast to SAI traumas, in-hospital mortality due to MAI is not usually related to the aortic injury, so these injuries are more amenable to a conservative management. It is mandatory to perform a close imaging surveillance to detect early any potential adverse evolution of an MAI. Nevertheless, a balance must be struck between a close serial imaging surveillance and the potentially detrimental effects of obtaining high-resolution additional images.

Traumatic aortic injuries associated with major visceral vascular injuries in major blunt trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to report the clinical and radiological characteristics and outcomes of a series of acute traumatic aortic injuries (ATAIs) with associated injury to major aortic abdominal visceral branches (MAAVBs). METHODS: From January 2000 to August 2011, 10 consecutive major blunt trauma patients with associated ATAI and injury to MAAVBs (group A) and 42 major blunt trauma patients presenting only an ATAI without MAAVB injuries (group B) were admitted to our institution. RESULTS: Overall in-hospital mortality was 32.7%. In-hospital mortality in group A was 40% and in group B it was 31% (p = 0.86). Observed in-hospital mortality was slightly lower than the expected in-hospital mortality in both groups. Mean peak creatine phosphokinase was significantly higher in group A than in group B patients (23,008 ± 33,400 vs. 3,970 ± 3,495 IU/L; p < 0.001). Acute renal injury occurred in 50% of group A and in 26.2% of group B patients. Hemodiafiltration was required in 30% of group A and in 9.5% of group B patients. Median follow-up time was 64 months (range = 1-130 months). Group A survival was 60% at 1, 5 and 10 years. Group B survival was 69% at 1 year and 63.3% at 5 and 10 years (p = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: Aortic injuries associated with MAAVB injuries in major trauma patients seem to present in a different clinical scenario. These patients present increased risk of rhabdomyolysis, visceral ischemia, and acute renal failure, as well as higher in-hospital mortality. A multidisciplinary approach combining endovascular and open surgical techniques for a staged treatment of these life-threatening aortic and MAAVB injuries is mandatory in this critical subset of trauma patients.

Mid-term results of thoracic endovascular aortic repair in surgical high-risk patients.

Between May 2001 and June 2008, the outcome and morphological changes in thoracic aortic lesions of 20 surgical high-risk patients who underwent TEVAR were evaluated. Aortic lesions included 8 (40%) type B dissections, 5 (25%) atherosclerotic aneurysms, 4 (20%) penetrating ulcers and 3 (15%) traumatic aortic ruptures. All patients were classified as American Society of Anaesthesiologists class IV and obtained high scores in both the logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation, median of 14.5% (range 8.1-65.7%), and the STS Parsonet 95 scoring system, median of 14 (range 10-52). Endovascular stent-graft deployment was technically successful in all cases. No surgical conversion occurred. Early mortality was observed in two patients. Clinical and imaging follow-up was available in all patients at a median time of 28 months (range 4-89 months). Overall actuarial survival was 90% at one and five years and 60% at seven years. Mean diameter of the descending aorta decreased from 51.1+/-13 mm to 45.3+/-8 mm (P=0.032). Mean reduction in dimension of aneurysms was 10.7+/-8 mm. Endovascular thoracic aorta repair will probably benefit more patients with multiple comorbidities that limit their life expectancy than patients with a lower profile.

Hybrid procedure for proximal arch and descending aortic aneurysms.

This report describes the feasibility of combined surgical and endovascular repair of extensive pathologies of the aorta with a specially hybrid procedure. An ascending aorta and proximal aortic arch aneurysm, involving the origin of the innominate artery, and a descending thoracic aorta aneurysm were simultaneously repaired in a 65-year-old man. The ascending aorta, proximal arch, and the origin of the innominate artery were replaced by Dacron grafts (InterVascular, Datascope, La Ciotat, France) under circulatory arrest and deep hypothermia. After weaning from extracorporeal circulation, the thoracoabdominal aneurysm was excluded with two endografts deployed in an antegrade fashion through a side branch of the ascending aorta graft.