Objective To analyze the etiologies, surgical treatment and outcomes of retrograde type A aortic dissection (RTAD) after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for Stanford type B aortic dissection. Methods The clinical data of patients with RTAD after TEVAR for Stanford type B aortic dissection receiving operations in Changhai Hospital from March 2014 to August 2018 were analyzed. All patients were followed-up by clinic interview or telephone. Results A total of 16 patients were enrolled, including 13 males and 3 females with a mean age of 49.1±12.2 years. The main symptoms of RTAD were chest pain in 12 patients, headache in 1 patient, conscious disturbance in 1 patient, and asymptomatic in 2 patients. All the 16 patients received total arch replacement with the frozen elephant trunk technique. Bentall procedure was used in 2 patients, aortic root plasticity in 10 patients and aortic valve replacement in 1 patient. The primary tear in 10 patients was located in the area which were anchored by bare mental stent, and in the other 6 patients it was located in the anterior part of ascending aorta. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 152.2±29.4 min, aortic cross-clamping time was 93.6±27.8 min and selective cerebral perfusion time was 29.8±8.3 min. There was no death in hospital or within postoperative 30 days. The follow-up period was 32-85 (57.4±18.3) months. No death occurred during the follow-up period. One patient underwent TEVAR again 3 years after this operation and had an uneventful survival. Conclusion Total arch replacement with the frozen elephant trunk technique is a suitable strategy for the management of RTAD after TEVAR for Stanford type B aortic dissection.
Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics and risk factors of noninfectious fever after endovascular repair of aortic dilatation diseases, and explore the management strategy. Methods We reviewed 468 patients who received endovascular aortic repair from January 2021 to October 2023. The patients who were selected were classified into a febrile group and an afebrile group according the fever after operation. The fever data were analyzed, and the demographics, operative data were researched to sieve out the correlation factors. Logistic regression analysis was conducted for the risk factors of postoperative fever if the P value≤0.05 in the univariate analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to analyze the predictive indexes of postoperative noninfectious fever. Results75.08% (229/305) patients had noninfectious fever after aortic repair and 98.25% of them had fever within 2 days. There were 229 patients in the febrile group, mean age 65 (53.0,73.0) years (83.4% males , and 76 patients in the afebrile group, mean age 71(65.0,76.7) years(84.2% males). Univariate analysis showed that the number of patients with coronary heart disease, using statins before operation and aortic aneurysm in the febrile group were significantly lower than those in the afebrile group, and patients were younger in the febrile group. The logistic regression showed that age, surgical site, type of disease, preoperative hyperthermia, type of stent were positively correlated with noninfectious fever, while statin use was negatively associated with noninfectious fever. And age, surgical site, preoperative hyperthermia and stent type were analyzed by means of ROC curve (P<0.01). Conclusion Noninfectious fever is very common after aortic repair. The relationship between fever and infection should be comprehensively judged according to the risk factors of noninfectious fever and the disease status to promote rational use of antibiotics.
The treatment of aortic dissection has already shifted to endovascular strategies. However, with the evolution of this disease and a deeper understanding of it, experts from various countries have developed a series of innovative endovascular techniques and devices in areas such as lumen reconstruction, false lumen embolization, entry sealing, and branch arteries reconstruction, targeting the long-term complication of chronic post-dissection thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. The past few decades have seen that Chinese vascular surgeons have gradually emerged on the world stage and contributed multiple “Chinese solutions” for post-dissection thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. The author in this review intends to provide an overview of these techniques and devices mentioned above.
ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of anatomical variations of the isolated left vertebral artery (ILVA) on clinical outcomes and imaging outcomes in patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection (TBAD) who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair. MethodsThe clinical data of patients with TBAD in West China Hospital, Sichuan University from January 2016 to December 2023 were collected, and the differences of clinical outcomes and imaging outcomes between patients with and without ILVA were compared. ResultsBased on the inclusion criteria and the result of propensity score-based matching, 82 patients with TBAD were included, including 17 patients with ILVA (ILVA group) and 65 patients without ILVA (control group). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the radiological and surgical information (P>0.05). The median time of the follow-up for these 82 patients were 37 months, during which there were no significant differences in aortic-related death, aortic event, stroke, adverse aortic remodeling, type Ⅰ A endoleak, and retrograde progression between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the re-intervention rate [HR=2.56, 95%CI (1.55, 8.11), P=0.03] and the incidence of type Ⅱ internal leakage [OR=1.36, 95%CI (1.08, 2.11), P=0.04] in the ILVA group were higher. ConclusionsNo significant differences were observed for ILVA patients in terms of serious adverse events such as aortic-related death and retrograde progression, comparing with the patients with normal aortic arch. However, the patients with ILVA were more susceptible to complications such as reintervention and type Ⅱ endoleak, which warranted the necessity of intensive postoperative follow-up for these patients.
The treatment of chronic thoracoabdominal aortic dissection aneurysm remains a major challenge in aortic surgery. Open surgery is the mainstream treatment at present. New devices for endovascular treatment of chronic thoracoabdominal aortic dissection are gradually applied in clinical practice. The hybrid procedure is a combination of open and endovascular procedures. The appropriate treatment should be selected according to the patient's age, anatomy, genetic aortic disease, and comorbidities.
ObjectiveTo evaluate clinical outcomes of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR)for the treatment of Stanford type B aortic dissection (AD)and descending aortic aneurysm. MethodsClinical data of 20 patients with Stanford type B AD or descending aortic aneurysm who underwent TEVAR in West China Hospital from March to June 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 19 male and 1 female patients with their age of 41-76 (58.3±10.2)years. Clinical outcomes were analyzed. ResultsAmong the 20 patients, 18 patients were successfully discharged, 1 patient refused further postoperative treatment and was discharged, and 1 patient died postoperatively. Sixteen patients (88.9%)were followed up for over 3 months. In all the patients during follow-up, true lumen diameter recovered within the scope of intravascular stents, and there was thrombosis in false lumen or aneurysm lumen. ConclusionTEVAR provides a new choice with significant advantages for the treatment of Stanford type B AD, especially for the elderly and patients with concomitant serious diseases, so it is worthy of clinical application.
ObjectiveTo report a simple and safe method for in situ fenestration of left subclavian artery in thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).MethodsTwenty-eight patients received in situ fenestration of left subclavian artery in TEVAR from June 2018 to May 2019 in our center, including 23 males and 5 females at an average age of 57.7±9.6 years. Among them, 12 patients used adjustable sheath or guiding catheter (a group A) and 16 patients used "J. D"technique (a group B). The clinical efficacy of the two groups was compared.ResultsIn the group A, 1 patient failed to receive fenestration and was transferred to the chimney technique. In the group B, 1 patient due to the traction system shift during operation, was completed by traditional adjustable sheath puncture. The group B had shorter alignment-perforation time and trigger time and less complications. There was no significant difference in endoleak during short-term follow-up between the two groups.ConclusionThe "J. D" technique is simple, safe and easy to obtain materials. It effectively reduces the risk caused by difficult sheath alignment during the in situ fenestration of the left subclavian artery. Although the results of recent follow-up are not significantly different from traditional methods, it still needs to accumulate the cases to observe the possible risks and difficulties.
ObjectiveTo explore the short- and mid-term efficacy of Castor single branch aortic stent combined with subclavian artery bypass grafting for the aortic arch lesions. MethodsA retrospective analysis of the clinical data of patients with proximal anchor zone insufficiency aortic arch lesions treated with Castor stent combined with carotid-subclavian bypass at the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from August 2020 to November 2023 was performed. ResultsA total of 22 patients were included, including 19 males and 3 females, with an average age of 56±16 years. There were 18 patients of aortic dissection and 4 patients of aortic arch tumors. The success rate of surgical technique was 100.0%, and the average postoperative hospital stay for patients was 10±4 days. The median follow-up time was 20 months. During the follow-up period, there were no major complications such as endoleak, paraplegia, cerebral infarction, renal insufficiency, etc., and all patients had no readmissions. ConclusionFor proximal anchor zone insufficiency aortic arch lesions, the treatment method of using a Castor stent branch placed in the left common carotid artery can effectively extend the anchor zone, avoid the huge trauma of open chest surgery, and achieve good short- and mid-term efficacy.
ObjectiveTo explore the effectiveness of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) with hostile stent-graft proximal landing zone. MethodsA retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 13 patients with BTAI with hostile stent-graft proximal landing zone treated by TEVAR between December 2007 and December 2014. There were 10 males and 3 females with the mean age of 44 years (range, 24-64 years). The imaging examination indicated Stanford type B aortic dissection in 7 cases, pseudoaneurysm in 3 cases, aneurysm in 1 case, and penetrating ulcer in 2 cases. According to the partition method of thoracic aortic lesion by Mitchell, 8 cases underwent stent-graft with left subclavian artery (LSA) coverage, 3 underwent chimney stents for LSA, and 2 for left common carotid artery (LCCA). In 2 cases receiving chimney TEVAR involving LCCA, one underwent steel coils at the proximal segment of LSA to avoid type II endoleak and the other underwent in situ fenestration for endovascular reconstruction of LSA. ResultsAll TEVAR procedures were successfully performed. The mean operation time was 1.8 hours (range, 1-3 hours); the mean intraoperative blood loss was 120 mL (range, 30-200 mL); and the mean hospitalization time was 15 days (range, 7-37 days). No perioperative death and paraplegia occurred. The patients were followed up 3-30 months (mean, 18 months). Type I endoleak occurred in 1 case during operation and spontaneously healed within 6 months. Hematoma at brachial puncture site with median nerve compression symptoms occurred in 1 case at 3 weeks after operation; ultrasound examination showed brachial artery pseudoaneurysm and thrombosis, and satisfactory recovery was obtained after pseudoaneurysmectomy. No obvious chest pain, shortness of breath, left upper limbs weakness, numbness, and dizziness symptoms were observed. Imaging examination revealed that stentgraft and branched stent remained in stable condition. Meanwhile the blood flow was unobstructed. No lesions expanded and ruptured. No new death, bacterial infection, or other serious complications occurred. ConclusionAccording to Mitchell method, individualized plan may be the key to a promising result. More patients and further follow-up need to be included, studied, and observed.
ObjectiveTo analyze the risk factors relevant retrograde type A aortic dissection (RTAD) after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for Stanford type B aortic dissection and provide a reference for its prevention and management. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection who underwent TEVAR at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2017 to June 2023. The patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the study. The multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for RTAD, with a test level of α=0.05. ResultsA total of 176 patients were included, among whom 7 developed RTAD, with an occurrence rate of 3.98%. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the larger τ angle between the centerline of the aorta [OR (95%CI)=1.195 (1.032, 1.384)] and the degree of curvature of the aortic arch (the curve distance from the proximal brachiocephalic trunk to the distal left subclavian artery) [OR (95%CI)=0.756 (0.572, 0.999)], the higher probability of RTAD after TEVAR (P＜0.05). ConclusionsFrom the results of this study, it can be seen that for patients with Stanford B-type aortic dissection underwent TEVAR treatment, careful preoperative evaluation of morphological characteristics of the aortic arch (particularly the τ angle of the aorta centerline and the degree of curvature of the aortic arch (the curve distance from the proximal brachiocephalic trunk to the distal left subclavian artery) is crucial for reducing the occurrence of RTAD after TEVAR in patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection.