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Background: Cannulation strategy in acute type A dissection (ATAD) varies widely without known gold standards. This study compared ATAD outcomes of axillary vs femoral artery cannulation in a large cohort from the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD)., Methods: The study retrospectively reviewed 2145 patients from the IRAD Interventional Cohort (1996-2021) who underwent ATAD repair with axillary or femoral cannulation (axillary group: n = 1106 [52%]; femoral group: n = 1039 [48%]). End points included the following: early mortality; neurologic, respiratory, and renal complications; malperfusion; and tamponade. All outcomes are presented as axillary with respect to femoral., Results: The proportion of patients younger than 70 years in both groups was similar (n = 1577 [74%]), as were bicuspid aortic valve, Marfan syndrome, and previous dissection. Patients with femoral cannulation had slightly more aortic insufficiency (408 [55%] vs 429 [60%]; P = .058) and coronary involvement (48 [8%] vs 70 [13%]; P = .022]. Patients with axillary cannulation underwent more total aortic arch (156 [15%] vs 106 [11%]; P = .02) and valve-sparing root replacements (220 [22%] vs 112 [12%]; P < .001). More patients with femoral cannulation underwent commissural resuspension (269 [30.9%] vs 324 [35.3%]; P = .05). Valve replacement rates were not different. The mean duration of cardiopulmonary bypass was longer in the femoral group (190 [149-237] minutes vs 196 [159-247] minutes; P = .037). In-hospital mortality was similar between the axillary (n = 165 [15%]) and femoral (n = 149 [14%]) groups (P = .7). Furthermore, there were no differences in stroke, visceral ischemia, tamponade, respiratory insufficiency, coma, or spinal cord ischemia., Conclusions: Axillary cannulation is associated with a more stable ATAD presentation, but it is a more extensive intervention compared with femoral cannulation. Both procedures have equivalent early mortality, stroke, tamponade, and malperfusion outcomes after statistical adjustment., (Copyright © 2024 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To describe the trends in management and outcomes of patients with acute type B aortic dissection in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection., Methods: From 1996 - 2022, 3 908 patients were divided into similar sized quartiles (T1, T2, T3, and T4). In hospital outcomes were analysed for each quartile. Survival rates following admission were compared using Kaplan-Meier analyses with Mantel-Cox Log rank tests., Results: Endovascular treatment increased from 19.1% in T1 to 37.2% in T4 (p trend < .001). Correspondingly, medical therapy decreased from 65.7% in T1 to 54.0% in T4 (p trend < .001), and open surgery from 14.8% in T1 to 7.0% in T4 (p trend < .001). In hospital mortality decreased in the overall cohort from 10.7% in T1 to 6.1% in T4 (p trend < .001), as well as in medically, endovascularly and surgically treated patients (p trend  = .017, .033, and .011, respectively). Overall post-admission survival at three years increased (T1: 74.8% vs. T4: 77.3%; p = .006)., Conclusion: Considerable changes in the management of acute type B aortic dissection were observed over time, with a significant increase in the use of endovascular treatment and a corresponding reduction in open surgery and medical management. These changes were associated with a decreased overall in hospital and three year post-admission mortality rate among quartiles., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) after repair of type A acute aortic dissection (TAAAD) has been shown to affect both short- and long-term outcomes. This study aimed to validate the impact of postoperative AKI on in-hospital and long-term outcomes in a large population of dissection patients presenting to multinational aortic centers. Additionally, we assessed risk factors for AKI including surgical details., Methods: Patients undergoing surgical repair for TAAAD enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection database were evaluated to determine the incidence and risk factors for the development of AKI., Results: A total of 3307 patients were identified. There were 761 (23%) patients with postoperative AKI (AKI group) vs 2546 patients without (77%, non-AKI group). The AKI group had a higher rate of in-hospital mortality (n = 193, 25.4% vs n = 122, 4.8% in the non-AKI group, P < .001). Additional postoperative complications were also more common in the AKI group including postoperative cerebrovascular accident, reexploration for bleeding, and prolonged ventilation. Independent baseline characteristics associated with AKI included a history of hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, evidence of malperfusion on presentation, distal extent of dissection to abdominal aorta, and longer cardiopulmonary bypass time. Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed decreased 5-year survival among the AKI group (P < .001)., Conclusions: AKI occurs commonly after TAAAD repair and is associated with a significantly increased risk of operative and long-term mortality. In this large study using the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection database, several factors were elucidated that may affect risk of AKI., (Copyright © 2023 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Transfusion in acute aortic syndromes has been studied in a limited fashion. We sought to describe contemporary transfusion practice for root replacement in acute (Stanford) type A aortic dissection., Methods: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database was interrogated to identify patients who underwent primary aortic root replacement for acute (Stanford) type A aortic dissection (July 2014 to June 2017). Patients (n = 1558) were stratified by type of root replacement. Multivariate regression was used to determine those variables associated with transfusion and postoperative morbidity., Results: Transfusion was required in 90.5% of cases (n = 1410). Operative mortality for all patients was 17.3% (261 deaths). Intraoperative red blood cell transfusion portended reduced short-term survival (odds ratio [OR] 2.00, P = .025). Massive postoperative transfusion was associated with prolonged ventilation (OR 13.47, P < .001), sepsis (OR 4.13, P < .001), and new dialysis-dependent renal failure (OR 2.43, P < .001). Women were more likely to require transfusion (OR 3.03, P < .001), as were patients who had coronary artery bypass (OR 1.57, P = .009), and those in shock (OR 2.27, P < .001). Valve-sparing aortic root replacement was associated with reduced transfusion requirements vs composite roots. Institutional case volume was not appreciably correlated with transfusion., Conclusions: Most patients undergoing root replacement for aortic dissection require blood products. Composite root replacement is associated with a greater likelihood of transfusion than a valve-sparing operation. Transfusion independently foreshadows greater operative mortality., (Copyright © 2022 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A shift to lifetime management has gained more focus with the approval of low-risk transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This paper is therefore focused on the different approaches for lifetime management. Herein we discuss the procedural safety, durability, performance, and future options for each lifetime management strategy. In younger patients that elect to undergo surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), options for bioprosthetic failure are TAV-in-SAV or redo SAVR. Among patients that undergo TAVR, options for valve failure include TAVR explant with SAVR or TAV-in-TAV. Additionally, there are patients who may require a third valvular intervention. The initial therapy may limit re-intervention options down the road. This review discusses how options for future therapies affect the decision of SAVR vs TAVR in younger patients., (Copyright © 2021 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Worse outcomes have been reported for women with type A acute aortic dissection (TAAD). We sought to determine sex-specific operative approaches and outcomes for TAAD in the current era., Methods: The Interventional Cohort (IVC) of the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD) database was queried to explore sex differences in presentation, operative approach, and outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify adjusted outcomes in relation to sex., Results: Women constituted approximately one-third (34.3%) of the 2823 patients and were significantly older than men (65.4 vs 58.6 years, P < .001). Women were more likely to present with intramural hematoma, periaortic hematoma, or complete or partial false lumen thrombosis (all P < .05) and more commonly had hypotension or coma (P = .001). Men underwent a greater proportion of Bentall, complete arch, and elephant trunk procedures (all P < .01). In-hospital mortality during the study period was higher in women (16.7% vs 13.8%, P = .039). After adjustment, female sex trended towards higher in-hospital mortality overall (odds ratio, 1.40; P = .053) but not in the last decade of enrollment (odds ratio, 0.93; P = .807). Five-year mortality and reintervention rates were not significantly different between the sexes., Conclusions: In-hospital mortality remains higher among women with TAAD but demonstrates improvement in the last decade. Significant differences in presentation were noted in women, including older age, distinct imaging findings, and greater evidence of malperfusion. Although no distinctions in 5-year mortality or reintervention were observed, a tailored surgical approach should be considered to reduce sex disparities in early mortality rates for TAAD., (Copyright © 2022 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The optimal strategy for cerebral protection during repair of type A acute aortic dissection has yet to be determined. We sought to determine the impact of differing degrees of hypothermia in patients undergoing acute dissection repair., Methods: All patients in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection Interventional Cohort database who underwent type A acute aortic dissection repair between 2010 and 2018 were identified. Data for operative temperature were available for 1962 patients subsequently divided into 2 groups according to lowest temperature: moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest (MHCA) (20-28°C) versus deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) (<20°C). We then propensity matched 362 pairs of patients and analyzed operative data and short-term outcomes., Results: The median lowest temperature was 25.0°C in the matched MHCA group as compared with 18.0°C in the DHCA group. For the entire cohort of 1962 patients, in-hospital mortality was 14.2% (278 deaths) but was not significantly different between DHCA and MHCA. The perioperative stroke rate was comparable between groups, before and after propensity matching. Circulatory arrest times were significantly longer in the MHCA cohort, regardless of matching. Use of antegrade or retrograde cerebral perfusion was similar in matched groups. There were no differences in 30-day survival or in other major postoperative morbidity between the 2 matched cohorts., Conclusions: A surgical strategy of MHCA + antegrade cerebral perfusion is at least as safe as DHCA during repair of acute type A aortic dissection., (Copyright © 2021 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures Drs. Pirelli and Kliger are consultants to and have received speaker fees from Edwards Lifesciences and Medtronic. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.

Background: Time of day has been associated with adverse outcomes in certain surgical pathologies. Because acute type A aortic dissection typically mandates immediate repair, relatively little attention has been paid to the potential impact of the day-night timing of the operation itself. We sought to determine whether patients with acute dissection treated during typical working hours demonstrated a difference in outcomes compared with those who required surgery after hours., Methods: We undertook a comprehensive review of our prospectively collected database from July 2014 to October 2018. A total of 164 consecutive patients underwent primary repair of an acute type A dissection. Based on the procedure start time, patients were divided into 2 groups: working hours (7 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday; n = 60), and after hours (all other times, including weekends and holidays; n = 104). We propensity-matched 58 pairs of patients and analyzed perioperative data and short-term clinical outcomes., Results: Thirty-day mortality for all 164 patients was 10.4% (17 deaths), which was not significantly different between the matched groups (working-hours: 8 deaths [13.8%] versus after hours: 4 deaths [6.9%]; P = .36). Perfusion, cross-clamp, and circulatory arrest times did not differ between groups, nor did the types of aortic repairs performed. Postoperative complications were also comparable, including stroke, reoperation for bleeding, and new-onset renal failure requiring dialysis., Conclusions: Thirty-day mortality and major morbidity after acute type A dissection repair are independent of when the operation is performed. Expeditious surgical intervention is recommended for all primary acute type A dissection, irrespective of time of day., (Copyright © 2020 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Data on blood use in proximal aortic surgery is limited. This study sought to establish quality benchmarks in the pattern of transfusion during elective aortic root replacement., Methods: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database was queried to identify all patients who underwent primary elective aortic root replacement between July 2014 and June 2017. Multivariable negative binomial regressions were used to determine whether perioperative transfusion was associated with demographic or procedural factors. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed for clinical outcomes., Results: Of 5559 patients analyzed, 38.95% (n = 2165) received no blood products. Patients who had a valve-sparing root replacement were less likely to undergo transfusion than those who received composite roots (bioprosthetic or mechanical valves) or homografts. The 30-day mortality for all patients was 2.57% (n = 143). Transfusion was associated with an increased risk of death at 30 days (odds ratio [OR], 1.833; P = .012), more frequent reoperation for bleeding (OR, 1.766; P < .001), prolonged ventilation (OR, 1.935; P < .001), a longer postoperative hospital stay (OR, 1.056; P < .001), and a higher incidence of new dialysis-dependent renal failure (OR, 2.088; P = .003). There was no correlation between institutional case volume and transfusion practice., Conclusions: Elective aortic root replacement can be performed with acceptable requirements for blood products. Composite root replacement has a greater likelihood of transfusion than does a valve-sparing procedure. Transfusion is independently associated with more complications after elective aortic root surgery, including 30-day mortality., (Copyright © 2020 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Acute ischemia in chronic type B dissections carries high rates of morbidity and mortality. A 29-year-old woman with a chronic type B dissection presented with acute abdominal pain. Imaging revealed a worsening dissection with pseudocoarctation causing near complete occlusion of the true lumen by the false lumen. We placed purposefully undersized stent grafts to treat acute mesenteric ischemia by improving true lumen flow. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 4 without adverse events. We suggest that endovascular rescue by placing undersized stent grafts can provide improved flow to the mesenteric vessels with continued false lumen flow to vital organs., (Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: We aimed to analyze causes, management, and outcomes of the unexpected need to abort sternotomy in aortic stenosis (AS) patients accepted for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) era., Methods: Cases of aborted sternotomy (AbS) were gathered from 5 centers between 2009 and 2014. A systematic review of all published cases in the same period was performed., Results: A total of 31 patients (71% males, 74±8years, LogEuroSCORE 11.9±7.4%) suffered an AbS (0.19% of all sternotomies). Main reasons for Abs included previously unknown porcelain aorta (PAo) in 83.9%, mediastinal fibrosis due to radiotherapy in 12.9%, and chronic mediastinitis in 3.2%. Median time between AbS and next intervention was 2.3months (IQR: 0.7-5.8) with no mortality within this period. Only a case was managed with open surgery. In 30 patients (96.8%) TAVI was performed with a rate of success of 86.7%. Three patients (9.7%) presented in-hospital death and 17 (54.8%) had in-hospital complications including heart failure (9.6%), major bleeding (6.9%), and acute kidney injury (9.6%). Older patients (76±8 vs. 70±8years, p=0.045), previous cardiac surgery (60% vs. 15.4%, p=0.029), and shorter time from AbS to next intervention (5.1±5 vs. 1±0.7months, p=0.001) were related to higher six-month mortality (22.6%)., Conclusions: The main reason for AbS was PAo. This entity was associated to a higher rate of complications and mortality, especially in older patients and with prior cardiac surgery. A preventive strategy in these subgroups might be based on imaging evaluation. TAVI was the most extended therapy., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hemodynamic instability during transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedures may require transient cardiopulmonary bypass for support. In patients with severe atherosclerosis, peripheral cannulation may not be possible. This method of direct left ventricle cannulation during transapical TAVR is a facile means to provide arterial inflow., (Copyright © 2014 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This manuscript describes the initial experience of 15 patients undergoing aortic arch replacement using a modification of the trifurcate arch technique described by Spielvogel and coworkers [1]. This technique provides continuous antegrade cerebral perfusion and minimal myocardial ischemia with mild hypothermia., (Copyright © 2012 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We describe a 73-year-old woman who had a right atrial-inferior vena caval thrombus and pulmonary thromboembolism develop after percutaneous vertebroplasty with methylmethacrylate. Our patient subsequently underwent open-heart surgery to effectively remove the bulk of the foreign material. This case illustrates the need for close monitoring of patients undergoing percutaneous vertebroplasty and emphasizes the importance of prompt diagnosis and treatment., (Copyright © 2011 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Optimal treatment for penetrating aortic ulcers has yet to be determined. Although open surgical repair is an effective therapeutic option, less invasive alternatives such as endoluminal grafting are emerging as a potential adjunct for the treatment of penetrating aortic ulcers isolated to the descending thoracic aorta. We reviewed our cumulative experience with thoracic endografting for penetrating aortic ulcers of the descending thoracic aorta., Methods: Between March 2003 and September 2005, 21 patients with penetrating aortic ulcers of the descending thoracic aorta were treated with Gore TAG thoracic endoluminal stent-grafts as part of a single-center investigational device exemption protocol., Results: Mean patient age was 73 +/- 12 years, and 7 (33%) of 21 were men and 14 (67%) were women. Patients presented with both acute (<14 days; 16/21, 76.2%) and chronic symptoms (5/21, 23.8%). The endoluminal stent-graft was successfully delivered in all 21 patients. No endoleaks were detected at 30-days postprocedurally or in follow-up (mean follow-up, 14 +/- 18 months). The 30-day mortality was 0%, and overall mortality was 4.8% (1/21), which was unrelated to the endovascular intervention., Conclusions: Endovascular therapy for penetrating aortic ulcers of the descending thoracic aorta is safe and feasible. The number of patients diagnosed with penetrating aortic ulcers is expected to increase as improved imaging systems are becoming more commonplace. As a result, new and safer treatment paradigms will become even more important in the treatment of aortic diseases. Compared with historical surgical results, endovascular therapy for penetrating aortic ulcers of the descending thoracic aorta appears to have less operative mortality and is as equally effective as open surgical repair. Long-term surveillance and continued investigation are warranted.

The use of endovascular stents to treat descending thoracic aortic pathologies is emerging as a less invasive therapy to treat high-risk patients. This case report describes the presentation of a patient with a pulsatile mass on her back. The patient's computed tomographic scan revealed the mass to be an extension of a large psuedoaneurysm from the site of a previous repair of her thoracic aorta for a dissecting aneurysm several years earlier. The psuedoaneurysm was successfully treated with an endovascular stent and the patient was discharged home on postoperative day 5.

Background: The edge-to-edge technique (E2E) has been advocated for the complex repair of myxomatous mitral valves. We compared outcomes of E2E performed in patients at risk for systolic anterior motion (SAM) versus outcomes in patients with residual mitral regurgitation (MR) after repair completion., Methods: A total of 1,612 patients had repair of myxomatous mitral valves between June 1997 and December 2003 at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The E2E was used in 72 (4.5%) patients. Fifty-two patients (52/72; group I) had E2E for persistent MR after complex repair. Twenty patients (20/72; group II) had E2E for high risk of post-repair SAM and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. Mean age of the patients was 61 +/- 14 years; 47 were male, average New York Heart Association class at admission was 2.4 +/- 0.6, and mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 56 +/- 12%., Results: The operative mortality was zero. Immediate postoperative MR was significantly improved in all patients compared with the preoperative grade (p value < 0.0005). Mean follow-up was 388 days. In those in whom E2E was used for residual MR without SAM risk (group I), postoperative MR (> or = 2+) was detected in 15 of 52 patients at 6 months. In group II, SAM was completely eliminated and the mean MR grade in the immediate postoperative period was 0.5 +/- 0.7. There was no long-term recurrence of MR in group II., Conclusions: This study suggests that E2E eliminates SAM and long-term MR in patients with pre-repair echocardiographic predictors of SAM. The E2E is not efficacious in preventing long-term recurrent MR if performed for residual MR after complex mitral repair.

Background: Acute type A dissections require surgery to prevent death from proximal aortic rupture or malperfusion. Most series over the past decade have reported a death rate in the range of 15% to 30%. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of an integrated surgical approach on the treatment of acute type A dissections., Methods: From January 1994 to April 2002, 163 consecutive patients underwent repair of acute type A dissection. All had an integrated operative management as follows: intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography; hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) with retrograde cerebral perfusion to replace the aortic arch; HCA established after 3 minutes of electroencephalographic silence in neuromonitored patients (60%) or after 45 minutes of cooling in patients who were not neuromonitored (40%); reinforcement of the residual arch tissue with a Teflon felt "neo-media;" cannulation of the arch graft to reestablish cardiopulmonary bypass at the completion of HCA (antegrade graft perfusion); and remodeling of the sinus of Valsalva segments with Teflon felt "neo-media" and aortic valve resuspension or replacement with a biological or mechanical valved conduit. When HCA times were greater than 50 minutes, antegrade cerebral perfusion is used. Since Februay 1999, BioGlue has been used as an anastomotic adjunct in the repair of type A dissections., Results: Mean age was 62 +/- 14 years, with 68% men and 15% with previous cardiac surgery. Seven percent of patients presented with a preoperative neurologic deficit, and 3% developed a new cerebrovascular accident after dissection repair. The in-hospital death rate was 9.8%. Excluding the patients with preoperative strokes (7%) and those with postoperative stroke (3%), the in-hospital death rate was 6.6%. In 6 patients, prompt changes in circulatory management consisting of switching cannulation sites or cross-clamp release with direct temporary aortic arch fenestration occurred when there were sudden changes in electroencephalogram during cooling., Conclusions: A standardized approach to the treatment of acute type A dissections has improved outcomes. Our 55% mortality in patients with preoperative cerebral vascular accident (CVA) suggests that this group may be candidates for medical or delayed surgical treatment. Conversely, our 6.6% mortality rate for neurologically intact patients warrants aggressive and expeditious surgical intervention.