Expanded Petticoat technique to promote the reduction of contrasted false lumen volume in patients with chronic type B aortic dissection.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the outcomes of our novel concept of expanded provisional extension to induce complete attachment strategy (Petticoat) for safety, durability, and remodeling of chronic type B dissections.

METHODS

Twenty patients with chronic type B aortic dissection with aneurysmal degeneration qualified for an expanded Petticoat strategy (stent graft in the thoracic, plus additional distal bare stent into the abdominal and infrarenal aorta, followed by parallel stent grafts into common iliac arteries). Computed tomography was performed preoperatively and at 1, 6, and 12 months after surgery.

RESULTS

The primary technical success was 100%. The 30-day mortality rate was 0%. At 12 months, favorable aortic remodeling and complete false lumen (FL) thrombosis were noted as 100% in the thoracic and infrarenal aorta. The volume of contrast-enhanced FL decreased from 186 ± 75.4 mL all along the dissection preoperatively (range, 70-360 mL), to 6.32 ± 5.4 mL postoperatively (range, 0.0-19.6 mL) and was only observed in the visceral aorta (P = .000089). Despite persistent flow in a small area of the FL, the maximal aortic size was stable in follow-up. Neither paraplegia nor visceral branch occlusion were noted in the follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

The treatment of aortic dissections with an expanded Petticoat strategy seems to be safe and offers good early results. It significantly reduced the volume of contrast enhanced FL. Further investigation of any subsequent results will be necessary.