Surgical treatment of thoraco-abdominal and low thoracic aneurysms of the aorta. One single center experience over ten years

This work presents the results of surgery in thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms (TAA) and thoracic descending aortic aneurysms (TDA) in one single center between January 1rst, 1996 and December 31, 2005. It concerns open surgery in 42 and endovascular procedures in ten patients. Forty two patients (11 TDA and 31 TAA (4 type I, 12 type II, 6 type III and 9 type IV)) define the open surgery series. Twenty six patients were operated on elective basis and 16 patients in emergency condition. Surgical correction was made under partial cardio-pulmonary bypass (PCPB) in 70% of cases via femoral vessels; most significant intercostal arteries were reimplanted and cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) drainage used in half of the cases. Operative mortality was zero in the elective group (0/26) and attained 19% in the emergent group (3/16). Mortality was linked to cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) in two cases and post-pump left lung hemorrhagic intarction in one case. The paraplegia accounts 2/26 in the elective group and one in the emergent group (1/16). That is 7.1% in both groups. At the end of five years, survival is 66% in elective group and 74% in the emergency group. Ten patients (5 TDA and 5 TAA (2 type I, 3 type III)) were treated endovascularly. Operative mortality and postoperative paraplegia were nil.