Abstract: Objective To explore the surgical procedures and cerebral protection and improve surgical results by summarizing the experiences of surgical treatment of 68 patients of De Bakey Ⅰ aortic dissection. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 68 patients (including 45 males and 23 females aged 29 to 72 years with an age of 44.5±17.2 years) with De Bakey Ⅰ aortic dissection who were treated in the General Hospital of Shenyang Command between May 2004 and April 2010. Acute aortic dissection (occurring within 2 weeks) was present in 57 patients and chronic aortic dissection in 11. The intimal tear was located in the ascending aorta in 45 patients, in the aortic arch in 12 and in the descending part of the aortic arch in 11. Thirtyfive patients underwent emergency operation and 33 underwent selected or limited operation. The operations were performed under hypothermic circulation arrest plus selective antegrade cerebral perfusion or right vena cave retrograde cerebral perfusion to protect the brain. Total arch replacement and stented elephant trunk were performed in 25 patients, Bentall operation with concomitant total arch replacement and stented elephant trunk in 16 patients, pure right semi aortic arch replacement and stented elephant trunk in 15 patients, total aortic arch replacement in 7 patients, right semi aortic arch replacement and stented elephant trunk in 3 patients, and Cabrol operation with concomitant aortic conduit with valve and total arch replacement and stented elephant trunk in 2 patients. Results Five patients (4 with acute aortic dissection and 1 with chronic aortic dissection) died with an operative mortality of 7.4%(5/68). The causes of death were anastomotic bleeding during surgery in 1 patient, postoperative low cardiac output syndrome and malignant arrhythmia in 2, acute renal failure in 1 and cerebral complications in 1. During perioperative period, psychotic symptoms occurred in 5 patients, pericardial effusion in 2 patients, hoarseness in 6 patients and poor wound healing in 1 patient. All of them were cured before dehospitalization. Sixty patients (95.2%, 60/63) were followed up for 2 months to 6 years with the other 3 patients lost. During the ollow-up, sudden death occurred to 1 patient with unknown reasons, and 1 patient had pericardial effusion and symptoms improved with relevant treatment. All the other patients followed up had a good quality of life with significant improvement of heart function. Fiftyfour patients had a heart function of New York Heart Association class Ⅰ and 5 had a function of class Ⅱ. Conclusion The surgical treatment for De Bakey Ⅰ aortic dissection should be active. The beneficial results can be obtained with best choice of operative procedures, methods of cerebral protection, and adequate treatment of complications of operation.
Objective To summarize the experience of surgical treatment for 84 patients with aortic dissection, investigate the surgical technique and perioperative treatment, and to improve surgical results. Methods The operations were performed in 50 patients with aortic dissection of Stanford A， Bentall or Cabrol operations were performed in 24 patients, graft replacement of ascending aorta in 8 patients, Trusler operation in 5 patients, Wheat operation in 5patients, operation of ascending aorta and aortic arch in 8 patients.Stentgraft were used in 34 patients with aortic dissection of Stanford B. Results There were 11 hospital death,the hospital mortality was 13.1%.There were 3 operative deaths.One patient with ascending aortic and hemiarch grafting died of aortic root bleeding;one patient with replacement of ascending aorta died of failure to restart heart beating；one patient with ascending aortic and hemiarch grafting died of rapture of aortic dissection. There were 8 postoperative deaths, including low cardiac output syndrome in 2 patients, lung infection in 2 patients, renal failure in 2 patients， respiratory failure in 1 patient and permanent mental anomaly in 1 patient. The complications were occurred in 16 patients. The followup period was 3 months to 10 years, and carried out in 62 patients（84.9%，62/73).One died of endocarditis, another one died of sudden death. Conclusion The surgicaltreatment of aortic dissection could be carried out safely based on the accurate diagnosis， specific surgical strategy and fine surgical technique.