Total aortic arch replacement using frozen elephant trunk technique with J Graft Open Stent Graft for distal aortic arch aneurysm.

OBJECTIVES

The J Graft Open Stent Graft, the first commercialized stent graft in Japan, has been available since February 2014, and we have used this new device as a frozen elephant trunk technique for distal aortic arch aneurysm. Here, we present our surgical method and result with this new device.

METHODS

Between October 2014 and October 2016, 30 patients (26 males, mean age 74.3 ± 9.7 years) underwent total aortic arch replacement using the frozen elephant trunk technique with the J Graft Open Stent Graft for distal aortic arch aneurysm. The follow-up period was 10 months.

RESULTS

In-hospital mortality and 30-day mortality were 0%. Stroke occurred in three cases (10%), paraplegia in one case (3.3%), respiratory complication in two cases (6.7%), and renal failure in two cases (6.7%). During the follow-up period, there was no aorta- related death, and two patients needed an aortic operation (re-hemiarch replacement for pseudoaneurysm of proximal anastomotic site; axilloaxillary bypass for occlusion of the left subclavian artery), and two patients needed catheter embolization for type II endoleak for reopening of the left subclavian artery.

CONCLUSION

Our short-term surgical results were acceptable. This new device is useful for distal aortic arch aneurysms.