[Efficacy of Distal Perfusion During Frozen Elephant Trunk Procedure:Continuous Perfusion Versus Intermittent Perfusion].

PURPOSE: To compare the effectiveness of continuous distal perfusion( CDP) with that of intermittent distal perfusion( IDP) during frozen elephant trunk( FET) procedures. METHODS: There were 54 patients in the CDP group and 15 patients in the IDP group. There were no significant differences in preoperative characteristics between the two groups, but dissection was more common in the IDP group than in the CDP group, and the maximum aneurysmal diameter was larger in the CDP group than in the IDP group. RESULTS: Emergency surgery was significantly more common in the IDP group than in the CDP group. Operating time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, lower body arrest time, and aortic cross-clamp time were significantly longer in the IDP group. Postoperative paraparesis occurred in one case in each group, and temporary paraparesis occurred in two cases in the CDP group, with no significant differences, including in mechanical ventilation time. There were two in-hospital deaths, one due to respiratory failure and one due to ischemic colitis, in the CDP group and one due to multiple organ failure in the IDP group. Postoperative liver and renal functions did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSION: IDP has proven to be almost as effective as CDP during FET for preventing spinal cord ischemia and maintaining respiratory, liver, and renal functions.

A rare case of an expanded perigraft seroma with heart failure after thoracic aortic surgery.

Perigraft seroma (PS) is an occasional complication of abdominal and femoral aortic graft implantation. We report a rare case with heart failure due to expanded PS compressing the right atrium 5 years after ascending aorta replacement for an acute type A aortic dissection. The PS was drained and sealed with biological tissue adhesive and wrapped using bovine xenopericardial sheet. We believe that mild hemorrhage through a vascular graft caused the expanded PS. Furthermore, wrapping vascular grafts using bovine xenopericardial sheet after sealing with biological tissue adhesive was effective for PS, particularly in cases in which it is impossible to use greater omentum. Learning objective: Cases of perigraft seroma (PS) after thoracic aortic repair have rarely been reported. The mechanism, indications, and treatments are unclear. We report a case of heart failure caused by expanded PS due to a small hemorrhage through a vascular graft. Furthermore, wrapping vascular grafts using bovine xenopericardial sheet after sealing with biological tissue adhesive may be effective for PS, particularly in cases where it is impossible to use the greater omentum.

[Initial and Long-term Results of Omental Flap Coverage for the Complications after Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Repair].

OBJECTIVE: Here, we will review the initial remote results of omental flap coverage (OFC) after thoracic aortic aneurysm repair and report on its efficacy and problems. METHODS: We performed 567 thoracic aortic aneurysm surgeries from January 2007 to December 2021, including OFC in 16 patients( 2.8%, 10 males, mean age 65 years:range 30-82 years) who underwent OFC. RESULTS: OFC was performed in 14 cases of mediastinitis and 2 cases of perigraft seroma. 13 cases were performed at the same admission as the initial surgery, and 3 cases were performed after the discharge. The causative organisms of mediastinitis were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in 4 cases, methicillin-resistant coagulase negative Staphylococcus( MRCNS) in 2 cases, Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter, Klebsiella, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis( MRSE) in 1 case each, and unknown in 4 cases. All cases underwent successful reoperation with OFC alone, except in 1 case in which redo root replacement was performed for an anastomotic pseudoaneurysm. The overall hospital mortality was 31% (4 cases for MOF, 1 case for anastomotic hemorrhage). Of the 11 patients who were discharged alive, two died remotely (heart failure, senility), and no cases of reinfection were encountered. CONCLUSION: OFC is an effective treatment not only for mediastinitis but also for perigraft seroma while significantly reducing the risk of reinfection.

The rare case of a MitraClip device migrating into the left ventricular apex.

A 79-year-old man with atrial fibrillation and heart failure due to grade 4 + mitral valve regurgitation after coronary artery bypass underwent the MitraClip procedure using two clips. Three days after the procedure, chest radiographs indicated migration of one of the two clips into the left ventricle. He suffered from 3 + recurrent mitral regurgitation, tricuspid valve regurgitation. The echocardiogram and computed tomography scans indicated migration of the clip into the left ventricular apex; he underwent mitral valve replacement, removal of the migrated clip to prevent embolism, left atrial appendage closure, and tricuspid valve ring-annuloplasty. In the postoperative acute phase, embolism by detached and lost MitraClip device is possible, which can be difficult to remove.

[Metastasis of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma to the Left Ventricle].

Cardiac metastasis from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is relatively rare. It generally initiates from the right atrium with or without involvement of the inferior vena cava (IVC). Here, we report a case of metastasis of isolated clear cell RCC to the left ventricular( LV) papillary muscle. An 84-year-old male who had undergone renal resection due to RCC 19 years before, presented to our hospital with suspected LV tumor by echocardiography. The tumor was located near the posterior papillary muscle, with a size of 15×12 mm. The patient underwent resection of the LV tumor. Pathologically, the tumor was diagnosed as clear cell RCC. The postoperative course was stable, and he did not require any chemotherapy. Although there is no definite evidence of the mechanisms of metastasis, the tumor was supposed to metastasize lymphogeneously.

What Did Endovascular Aortic Repair Bring for the Treatment Strategy of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm?

Objective: We examined the effects of the introduction of endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) on treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Subjects: We compared patients in the following three periods: period I (January 2002-December 2006, 105 patients), period II (January 2007-December 2011, 242 patients, duration of 5 years after the introduction of EVAR), and period III (January 2012-December 2016, 237 patients, duration of 5 years after period II). We used the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification for risk assessment. Results: In the Open repair (OR) group, the incidences of ASA class 2 increased and classes 3 and 4 decreased significantly in periods II and III compared with period I. In all periods, there were no in-hospital deaths. Suprarenal aortic cross-clamping was required in 18 patients (19.1%) in period III and 5 patients (6.3) in period I, and the difference was significant (P<0.05). In the EVAR group, no differences in age, sex, or ASA classification class were observed between periods II and III. In period II, one patient died due to aneurysm rupture during surgery. Significant differences were observed when comparing both groups in periods II and III: patients in the EVAR group were older (P<0.01) and the OR group had a higher proportion of ASA class 2 patients and the EVAR group had a higher proportion of ASA class 3 or 4 patients (P<0.01). Among all AAA surgeries, rupture occurred in 25 patients (23.8%) in period I, 18 patients (7.4) in period II, and 16 patients (6.8) in period III. The number of ruptures was significantly lower in periods II and III than in period I (P<0.01). Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that EVAR should be indicated for high-risk patients and had the good outcome of AAA treatment. (This is a translation of Jpn J Vasc Surg 2018; 27: 27-32.).

[Marked Aneurysmal Expansion Caused by Type II Endoleaks Eight Years after Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair;Report of a Case].

We report a case of marked aneurysmal expansion by type II endoleaks 8 years after thoracic endovascular aortic repair. The preoperative chest computed tomography (CT) demonstrated the descending thoracic aorta of 95 mm with type II endoleak. We performed suture closure of 3 endoleaks and partial aneurysmorrhaphy via left thoracotomy under partial cardiopulmonary bypass. The postoperative CT showed no endoleak with shrinkage of the aneurysm. The patient was discharged on the 21th postoperative day uneventfully.

[Efficacy of Total Debranching Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for the Re-operation of Aortic Arch Aneurysm].

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) combined with all-neck-branch reconstruction (total debranching TEVAR)[td TEVAR] is applied to aortic arch aneurysms as a minimally invasive procedure to improve treatment results. We report the initial and long-term results of td TEVAR for the reoperation of aortic arch aneurysm. By September 2016, td TEVAR for reoperation had been applied in 5 cases. The reasons for the reoperation were dilation of the arch aneurysm after ascending aorta replacement in 4 cases and localized dissection of the proximal landing zone after zone 2 TEVAR in 1 case. We reconstructed the neck branches under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). At that time, we kept in mind to perform anastomosis with an artificial graft at just above the sinus of Valsalva by using a single aortic clamp. Both the 30-day operative mortality and CPB-related complication rates were 0%. One patient had paraparesis, and one had left upper limb ischemia. Our strategy of td TEVAR provided durable results in the patients who underwent reoperation for aortic arch aneurysms.

Successful Repair of Regurgitant Pentacuspid Pulmonary Valve Combined With Pulmonary Artery Aneurysm.

Pentacuspid pulmonary valve is an extremely rare congenital anomaly. A 71-year-old woman presented with dyspnea on exertion. The preoperative examination showed a large pulmonary artery aneurysm with severe pulmonary regurgitation. The pentacuspid pulmonary valve was an intraoperative finding with four equivalent leaflets and one hypoplastic leaflet. The valve was successfully repaired by use of a bicuspidization technique combined with annuloplasty, and pulmonary artery reduction was performed. Postoperatively, the patient remained asymptomatic with trivial pulmonary regurgitation 1 year later. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a pentacuspid pulmonary valve repair.

[Clinical Results of Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR) for the Treatment of Aortic Arch Aneruysm].

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair( TEVAR) combined of neck branch reconstruction( debranching TEVAR:dTEVAR) is applied to aortic arch aneurysm for minimally invasive reduction and improvement of treatment results. We report the initial and long-term results of dTEVAR for the treatment of aortic arch aneurysm. TEVAR for zone 0-2 area was applied in 49 cases (Zone 0:1:2;8:5:36 cases). Total dTEVAR was applied in zone 1 cases and 2 dTEVAR was performed in zone 2 cases. One dTEVAR or TEVAR with simple coverage of left subclavian artery was applied in zone 2 cases. Operative mortality within 30 days was 0% and there was 1 case in hospital death due to coronary arterial rupture after percutaneous coronary intervention. Perioperative morbidity included 1 case(2.0%) spinal cord ischemia, 4( 8.2%)arm claudication. In long-term follow-up, 5 cases died during the observation period (stroke in 1 case, heart failure in 1, neoplasma in 2, unknown in 1), but not in aortic rupture. Secondary type1 endoleak occurred in 2 cases(4.1%). Graft occlusion for neck branch reconstruction was complicated with 3 cases(6.1%), however no complications related to the graft occlusion. Our strategy of TEVAR provided durable results in patients treated for aortic arch aneurysm, with few adverse events.