Aortic debranching for descending thoracic aortic aneurysm repair by stent grafts.

Endovascular repair of a descending thoracic aortic aneurysm may result in covering the ostia of the left carotid or left subclavian artery for proper proximal landing zones, and the celiac artery or superior mesenteric artery ostia in the abdomen for distal landing zones. To prevent possible complications of occluding the ostia of these vessels, the authors performed an innominate to left common carotid and left subclavian artery bypass as the first procedure in one patient. In the second patient they performed an aortoceliac and aortomesenteric bypass before stent graft placement. The stent graft repair of the descending thoracic aortic aneurysm was performed subsequently in both patients. This aortic debranching provides subsequent proper placement of thoracic stent grafts.