Antegrade Endograft Deployment with Supra-Aortic Debranching to Treat Arch and Descending Thoracic Aortic Lesions. A Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is a widely used procedure that has drastically changed the management of thoracic aortic diseases. We assess the effectiveness of supra-aortic debranching during antegrade TEVAR procedures with a retrospective analysis of our clinical experience.

METHODS

Between December 2005 and April 2017, 55 patients underwent 64 TEVAR procedures. Among them, there were 8 male patients, mean age 72, who underwent hybrid antegrade stent-graft deployment. Particularly, for degenerative aneurysms of the aortic arch, 3 patients for aneurysm of descending thoracic aorta 3, for post-traumatic pseudoaneurysm 1, and for penetrating aortic ulcer 1 which had resulted in an aortoesophageal fistula. Proximal landing zones were Z0:1, Z1:3 and Z2:4. Type I hybrid aortic arch repair was performed in 1 case, carotid-carotid bypass in 2, carotid-subclavian in 5 and aorto-carotid in 1.

RESULTS

The 30-day postoperative mortality was 12.5%. One patient suffered a temporary right hemiplegia which resolved after left aorto-carotid bypass. No endoleaks were observed postoperatively and in follow-up period. In the long term and a mean follow-up of 4.9 years, there were no deaths related to the stent-graft implantation or to revascularization procedures. Regarding the aortic arch rerouting procedure, there were no pseudoaneurysm or other anastomotic events.

CONCLUSIONS

Antegrade delivery of the endograft, combined with hybrid and revascularization procedures of the supra-aortic vessels is a safe treatment modality, in complex hostile anatomies. However, further improvements are recommended due to the presence of neurologic complications and reinterventions.