Abstract： Objective To investigate the clinical results of offpump anatomic surgical repair for complex coarctation in adults. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 7 patients with complex coarctation who underwent onestage anatomic surgical repair between January 2005 and December 2008 in Fu Wai Hospital. There were 5 males and 2 females with the age ranged from 16 to 41 years, average at 24.4 years. Among all the patients, there were 2 patients of coarctation with hypoplastic aortic arch, 1 of coarctation with aortic arch aneurysm, 3 of coarctation with descending thoracic aortic aneurysm, and 1 of coarctation with B type aortic dissection. All patients were diagnosed by color echocardiography, CT or agnetic resonance imaging（MRI）. All off-pump operations were performed under general anesthesia and ambient temperature. Median sternotomy was performed in 1 patient and left thoracotomy in 6 patients. Aortic arch patching enlargement was performed in 4 patients and descending thoracic aorta replacement in 3 patients (including 1 combined with abdominal aorta replacement and 1 case of Stanford B type aortic dissection, trunk stent was transplanted at the same time). Results There was no hospital mortality or severe surgical complications. Seven patients were followed up for a period ranged from 6 to 49 months with an average time of 20.1 months. No late death or recoarctation occurred. Hoarseness occurred in one patient and presented no improvement during the 11 months follow-up. Conclusion Onestage offpump anatomic surgical repair is safe and feasible in treating adult patients with complex coarctation, and it shows a good immediate and longterm result.
Abstract: Objective To summarize the clinical experiences of onestage hybrid operation for treating typeB aortic dissection and aortic aneurysm involving distal aortic arch, explore the indication for this special technique and analyze shortterm followup results. Methods From October 2008 to May 2010, 16 consecutive patients received onestage hybrid operation in Fu Wai Hospital for aortic dissection or aortic aneurysm involving distal aortic arch. There were 12 males and 4 females. Their age ranged from 38.0 to 67.0 years (54.0±9.2 years). There were 14 patients of typeB aortic dissection, 1 patient of thoracic aortic aneurysm involving the aortic arch, and 1 patient of penetrating aortic ulcer. Among them, 10 were acute ones and 6 were chronic ones. Brachiocephalic artery bypass using neck incision with retrograde endovascular stent graft implantation was used. Four patients received bypass from the left common carotid artery to the left subclavian artery; 11 patients underwent bypass from the right common carotid artery to the left common carotid artery; and 1 patient had both of the bypasses. Intensive care unit(ICU) stay, hospital stay， and incidence of complications were closely monitored after operation. Computed tomography(CT) and general condition of the bypass grafts and its blood flow were followed up at three months and one year after operation. Results No death or severe complications occurred perioperatively. All onestage surgeries were technically successful with stent grafts implanted. Angiography during the operation showed 100% patency of all the bypass grafts and no obvious translocation or endoleakage of the stent grafts. One patient had mild paraplegia and recovered soon after treatment. Ventilation time of these patients was 2.010.0 hours (5.3±2.7 hours). The ICU stay was 0.0-2.0 days (1.1±0.4 days) and hospital stay was 4.0-7.0 days (5.3±0.8 days). The expenditure of blood products was 0.0-1 016.5 RMB (134.5±281.8 RMB). All patients were followed up with a followup period of 3.0 to 26.0 months (130±5.1 months). All patients recovered to normal social life. Enhanced CT scanning at three months and one year after operation showed no endoleakage or translocation of the stent grafts and 100% patency of the bypass grafts. There was no obvious change of the distal part of the dissection except some thrombosis formation in nine patients. Conclusion Onestage hybrid operation is safe and effective in shortening the duration of the operation and hospital stay, reducing the surgical trauma and sufferings of the patients, and lowering the risk of staged operations with satisfactory shortterm results. This special technique may expand the indications of simple endovascular repair. The mid and longterm results still need to be followed up.
Objective To summarize the experience of extraanatomic aortic bypass grafting through median sternotomy for onestage treatment of aortic coarctation and associated cardiac diseases, and to improve surgical effect of the diseases. Methods Between July 1997 and July 2008, 31 consecutive patients(20 male,11 female; age 31.9±11.7 years) with aortic coarctation and associated cardiac anomalies underwent onestage surgical repair through median sternotomy. The associated cardiac anomalies included: aortic valve insufficiency or stenosis(n=22); mitral valve insufficiency or stenosis (n=9); patent ductus arteriosus (n=5); ascending aortic aneurysm (n=4); ventricular septal defect (n=3); coronary artery disease (n=2). Extra-anatomic aortic bypass grafting was used to repair the coarctation. Routing of the grafts was: ascendingto posterior pericardial descending aorta (n=9) and ascendingtoinfrarenal abdominal aorta (n=22). Concomitant cardiac procedures included: aortic valve replacement in 16; Bentall procedures in 6; mitral valve repair or replacement in 9; ascending aortic replacement or aortoplasty in 4; patent ductus arteriosus closure in 5; ventricular septal defect closure in 3 and coronary artery bypass grafting in 2. Results One patient died of septic shock 39 days after operation with an inhospital mortality of 3.2%. Mean systolic blood pressure gradient between upper and lower extremities decreased from 64.2±25.3 mm Hg preoperatively to 13.7±10.2 mm Hg postoperatively (Plt;0.05). Twentyseven patients were followed up from 4 to 73 months, there were no late deaths，reoperations or graftrelated complications. Conclusion Extraanatomic aortic bypass grafting can be performed simultaneously through median approach in patients with aortic coarctation and associated cardiac diseases. It is an effective and safe treatment option for onestage surgical repair in adults and adolescents. Both ascendingto posterior pericardial descending aorta and ascendingtoinfrarenal abdominal aorta bypass have favorable results.
Objective To investigate the impact of three kinds of palliative operation on the body and growth of pulmonary artery in patients with congenital heart diseases of diminutive pulmonary blood. Methods Clinical data was reviewed in 28 cases of congenital heart diseases with diminutive pulmonary blood who had been performed cavopulmonary connection （n = 9）, systemic-pulmonary shunt （n = 8 ）, and palliative reconstruction of right ventricular outflow tract （n=11）. The period between re-hospitalized and the first was 5-54 months （19.07±10. 06 months ）. Hematocrit （HCT）, hemoglobin （Hb）, percutaneous oxygen saturation （SpO2）, body surface area （BSA）, and pulmonary artery index （PAI） etc. were observed both before palliation and before the second operation. Results After the second hospitalization, there were 7 cases of death from hemorrhage, failure of circulation and extracorporeal circulation accident etc. The time of respirator, intensive care unit and total amount of dopamine in patients of palliative reconstruction of right ventricular outflow tract were longer and more than those in patients of cavopulmonary connection （P〈0. 05）. HCT, Hb before the second operation were decreased than thoes before palliative operations in all patients, SpO2, BSA and PAI increased significantly （P 〈 0. 01 ）. Before the second operation, BSA of patients with cavopulmonary connection, BSA and PAI of patients with systemic-pulmonary shunt, SpO2, BSA and PAI of patients with palliative reconstruction of right ventricular outflow tract were increased than those before palliative operations（P〈0. 01）. HCT of palliative reconstruction of right ventricular outflow tract was decreased（P〈0. 05）. Conclusion This results suggests that pulmonary blood of patients with congenital heart diseases of diminutive pulmonary blood can be increased, development of pulmonary arteries can be improved efficiently by systemic-pulmonary shunt and palliative reconstruction of right ventricle outflow tract, but it can not be found in cavopulmonary connection patients.
Aortic dissection is a catastrophic emergency with a high mortality rate, and its full pathogenesis remains unknown to researchers, which brings a heavy burden to the individuals, society and family because of its poor prognosis. Improving the efficiency of its diagnosis and treatment and defining the pathogenic mechanism clearly is a research hotspot. Recently, utilizing bioinformatics to find diagnostic biomarker of aortic dissection has attracted the attention of many researchers. Besides, exploring the relationship between pathogenic mechanism and inflammatory process, extracellular matrix degradation, elastic fiber fracture and the phenotypic transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells is also a hot topic. We summarize recent progress made in the pathogenesis of aortic dissection. We hope to identify key molecules driving aortic dissection and provide reliable reference for the diagnosis, medical treatment and prevention of aortic dissection.
Objective To summarize our clinical experience of endovascular repair of aortic pseudoaneurysms，andexplore the etiology of the disease，treatment indications，and early and midterm results of the procedure. Methods From November 2009 to May 2012，52 patients with aortic pseudoaneurysms received endovascular aortic repair （EVAR） in FuWai Hospital. There were 44 male and 8 female patients with their age of （53.8±13.5 ） years. Their onset syndromes includedchest or back pain in 46 patients and hoarseness in 5 patients. There were 23 acute patients and 29 chronic patients. Aortic pseudoaneurysms located at the descending thoracic aorta in 51 patients and the abdominal aorta in 1 patient. The meandiameter of the aortic pseudoaneurysms was （45.1±33.8） mm. All the patients were diagnosed using enhanced CT scan of the aorta. Three patients received emergency EVAR. All the patients received EVAR through the femoral arteries under general anesthesia. Forty-six patients underwent isolated EVAR，5 patients received hybrid technique for EVAR via the neck，and 1 patient received hybrid technique including EVAR and total arch replacement via median sternotomy under normothermia. The average diameter of stent-grafts was （34.2±3.3） mm and the average length was （157.7±20.3） mm. Enhanced CT scan of the aorta was performed before discharge，3 months and 1 year after EVAR during follow-up. Results There was no in-hospital death and EVAR was 100% successful. All the patients （100%） were followed up for 1-31 （12.6±7.9）months after discharge. Their chest or back pain symptoms all significantly improved. Their hoarseness improved too duringfollow-up. One patient’s hoarseness disappeared early after EVAR but recurred 5 months after EVAR. Enhanced CT scan showed enlargement of the stent-graft without endoleak. One patient underwent emergency EVAR for sudden onset of massivehemoptysis，recovered well before discharge，and was readmitted to hospital 5 months after EVAR because of fetid sputum and hemoptysis，who was diagnosed as Behcet’s disease and cured after anti-infection and immunosuppressive therapy. One patient had recurrent fever before and 6 months after EVAR and was cured by antibiotic therapy. Intraoperative angiographyshowed trivial typeⅠendoleak in 4 patients right after stent-graft deployment，which disappeared in enhanced CT scan 3-6 months after EVAR. Intraoperative angiography showed no endoleak in all the other patients，and their enhanced CT scans 3 months and 1 year after EVAR showed complete sealing between the stent-grafts and the aortic wall，thrombus in the pseudoaneurysm sac and decreased diameters of the pseudoaneurysms without endoleak. Two patients had hemiplegia 1 dayand 6 days after EVAR respectively，1 patient was cured and discharged and the other patient survived with hemiplegicsequelae. One patient with an abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysm died of sudden onset of cerebral infarction at home 3 monthsafter EVAR. Conclusions Endovascular repair of descending aortic pseudoaneurysms is safe and effective with good early and midterm results，and longer follow-up is needed for its long-term outcomes. Individualized treatment plan is basedon the location of the pseudoaneurysms. Preoperative meticulous medical history and physical examination are both importantfor the differentiation of the etiology of aortic pseudoaneurysms. Postoperative treatment based on the etiology and close follow-up are also needed to ensure long-term results.
Objective To compare the early and late outcomes of different techniques of proximal root reconstruction during the repair of acute type A aortic dissection, including aortic valve (AV) resuspension, isolated supracoronary ascending aorta replacement, and aortic root replacement procedure (Bentall). Methods All patients who underwent acute Type A aortic dissection repair between January 2010 and December 2015 in Fuwai Hospital were retrospectively analyzed in our study. There were 673 patients with 512 males and 161 females at mean age of 48.80±11.22 years. There were 403 patients as an AV resuspension group (287 males and 116 females at average age of 50.61±9.95 years), 95 patients as an isolated supracoronary ascending aorta replacement group (76 males and 19 females at average of 49.83±12.21 years), and 175 patients as an AV resuspension group (149 males and 26 females at average of 44.07±11.99 years). The differences of preoperative aortic insufficiency, intraoperative variables and postoperative aortic insufficiency were compared in the three groups. Results Five hundred ninety-one patients (87.8%) had aortic valve commissure involved. The proportion of mild degree, moderate degree, and severe degree among the three groups were statistically significant (31.7%, 52.4%, 15.9%; 87.4%, 12.6%, 0.0%; 23.4%, 56.0%, 20.6%; P < 0.01). The diameter of aortic sinus in the three groups was 39.06±5.11 mm, 38.27±4.41 mm, 50.39±6.22 mm, respectively, with a statistical difference ( P< 0.01). The duration of surgery, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aorta cross-clamp time were also statistically significant (P < 0.01). The in-hospital mortality was 11.73% in the whole group. There was no difference among the three groups (12.2% vs. 13.7% vs. 9.7%, P=0.58). Five-year survival rate was similar (83.06% vs. 81.27% vs. 83.05%, P=0.85). The 5-year free from over moderate aortic insufficiency rate were 95.2%, 98.6% and 100% respectively, with no statistical difference (P=0.07). There was no re-do operation for aortic root diseases in the whole group. Conclusion According to aortic root processing strategy in our center, AV resuspension, isolated supracoronary ascending aorta replacement, and aortic root replacement can achieve satisfactory results. However, there is higher incidence of aortic insufficiency through AV resuspension. Further study is needed to evaluate its efficacy.
Objective To explore impact of climate change on aortic dissection and to put forward a new way about prediction and prevention of aortic dissection. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the characteristics of acute aortic dissection patients came from Hebei province in Fuwai Hospital between 2010 and 2016 year. Meanwhile, we collected monthly maximum temperature, minimum temperature, average temperature, average pressure, amount of rainfall, sunshine, humidity and other meteorological data. Generalized model was implied to explore climate change and the incidence of aortic dissection. Results A total of 1 121 acute aortic dissection patients from Hebei province were admitted in Fuwai Hospital during the period of 6 years. There were 774 patients were type A aortic dissection, and 347 patients were type B aortic dissection. The average age was 51.4±12.0 years. There were 873 males and 248 females. There were 889 (79.3%) patients with hypertension, 99 (8.83%) with Marfan syndrome. It was found that temperature, humidity and air pressure were all statistically significant for indication aortic dissection through single variable analysis (P<0.01). The temperature was only variable by one-way analysis of variance (P<0.01). The lowest temperature has the best predictive effect on the occurrence of aortic dissection. The relative risk was 1.02 with 95% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.03. Conclusion The change of climatic conditions can affect the occurrence of aortic dissection, and the lowest temperature is an important trigger factor for aortic dissection onset.
Aortic arch disease is one of the research hotspots and treatment difficulties in the field of aorta, including aortic arch aneurysms, pseudoaneurysm, ulcer, dissection and intramural hematoma. By summarizing the clinical data of the vascular surgery center of Fuwai Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in the past five years and combining with the latest theories of the cutting-edge development of aortic surgery, the authors proposed the "HENDO" concept, including using hybrid technique (H), endovascular repair (Endo) and open surgery (O), properly to treat aortic arch pathologies individually. The authors advocated the establishment of HENDO team and cooperation mechanism in large aortic centers, to eliminate technical shortcomings of a single surgeon by fully mastering the three main technology clusters by teamwork. Accordingly, the best treatment for each patient can be administrated and the survival rate and quality of life can be improved eventually.
Objective To investigate predictors for mortality among patients with Stanford type A acute aortic dissection (AAD) and to establish a predictive model to estimate risk of in-hospital mortality. Methods A total of 999 patients with Stanford type A AAD enrolled between 2010 and 2015 in our hospital were included for analysis. There were 745 males and 254 females with a mean age of 49.8±12.0 years. There were 837 patients with acute dissection and 182 patients (18.22%) were preoperatively treated or waiting for surgery in the emergency department and 817 (81.78%) were surgically treated. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to investigate predictors of in-hospital mortality. Significant risk factors for in-hospital death were used to develop a prediction model. Results The overall in-hospital mortality was 25.93%. In the multivariable analysis, the following variables were associated with increased in-hospital mortality: increased age (OR=1.04, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.05, P<0.000 1), acute aortic dissection (OR=2.49, 95% CI 1.30 to 4.77, P=0.006 1), syncope (OR=2.76, 95% CI 1.15 to 6.60, P=0.022 8), lower limbs numbness/pain (OR=7.99, 95% CI 2.71 to 23.52, P=0.000 2), type Ⅰ DeBakey dissection (OR=1.72, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.80, P=0.030 5), brachiocephalic vessels involvement (OR=2.25, 95% CI 1.20 to 4.24, P=0.011 7), acute liver insufficiency (OR=2.60, 95% CI 1.46 to 4.64, P=0.001 2), white blood cell count (WBC)>15×109 cells/L (OR=1.87, 95% CI 1.21 to 2.89, P=0.004 9) and massive pericardial effusion (OR=4.34, 95% CI 2.45 to 7.69, P<0.000 1). Based on these multivariable results, a reliable and simple bedside risk prediction tool was developed. Conclusion Different clinical manifestations and imaging features of patients with Stanford type A AAD predict the risk of in-hospital mortality. This model can be used to assist physicians to quickly identify high risk patients and to make reasonable treatment decisions.