Long-term outcomes of thoracic endovascular aortic repair with homemade stent-grafts

We reviewed our experience with homemade stent-grafts in the repair of thoracic aortic lesions. The objective of this study was to assess the long-term outcomes of this therapy. From 1999 to 2008, homemade stent-grafts were inserted in 94 patients with various thoracic diseases. The endoprostheses were stainless steel Z-stents covered with polyester graft and were custom designed for each patient. Placement of the stent-grafts was technically successful in 85 of the 94 patients (90%). Within 30 days after the treatment, 4 patients died, 3 had cerebral infarction, and 3 had the onset of paraplegia or paraparesis. Primary endoleaks were observed in 10 patients (11%). During the mean follow-up period of 43 +/- 29 months, 10 patients had endoleaks and 8 had stent-graft migration. The aneurysm-related mortality rate was 12%. Our early outcomes of elective and emergency thoracic endovascular aortic repair with homemade stent-grafts demonstrated their therapeutic effectiveness in high-risk patients with various thoracic diseases. Endoleaks and migration were, however, the factors most responsible for secondary intervention in the mid-term period. Careful follow-up of the treated patients is needed to avoid the major complication in the long-term period.     

采用胸分支型主动脉支架人工血管对主动脉弓降部夹层行腔内修复治疗

目的探讨采用胸分支型主动脉支架人工血管治疗累及左锁骨下动脉的主动脉弓降部夹层的临床效果。方法自2004年2月至2004年6月,采用血管腔内胸分支型主动脉支架人工血管治疗主动脉弓部夹层14例。14例均为StanforB型主动脉夹层,原发破裂口距左锁骨下动脉开口2～13mm,平均8．7mm。分支型支架由主动脉段支架和分支段支架组成,支架直径较相应支撑部位动脉直径大15％～20％。治疗在血管造影室进行,应用定位导丝、在透视下将分支型主动脉支架人工血管送人并连续释置入主动脉弓和左锁骨下动脉。结果支架释放全部成功。14例患者共放置14只分支型主动脉支架和2只可弯曲型支架人工血管,封闭夹层破裂口,夹层真腔全部恢复正常直径。无远端动脉并发症发生,无死亡病例。全部患者术后恢复正常活动。结论胸分支型主动脉支架人工血管适合于修复破裂口位于左锁骨下动脉开口旁的主动脉弓部夹层。     

The system problems related to thoracic surgery practices in japan; message from the Japanese association for thoracic surgery

The thoracic surgery practice in Japan has characteristics such as strong burden to surgeons and young trainees for high-risk procedures under poor health care manpower system and less qualification for their high-level practices. The presence of too many numbers of certified surgeons and teaching hospitals for cardiac, general thoracic and esophageal surgeries has been well recognized providing low quality maintenance and poor training system. The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery has recently made a step towards to open the data of hospital quality promoting the discussion to reunify the hospitals and surgeons into reasonable numbers to respond to the social demand. The new 2-year postgraduate clinical training and also a new specialty medical board approval for advertisement have provided various problems and controversies, and we must make efforts to overcome these problems by providing new strategies to make our practices more qualified.     

对微创胸外科几个问题的再认识

胸外科先驱们在探索如何诊治胸部疾病的过程中,创造了后外侧标准切口、正中切口和横断胸骨的赫氏切口。这三种切口几乎满足了所有胸外科手术的需要。考虑到当时医疗条件及科技水平有限,虽然切口创伤较大,但这三种切口的相继应用提高了人们对人体解剖和疾病形成的认识,并且经过70余年的探索,逐步形成了一套行之有效的胸部疾病治疗方法。[第一段]     

Explantation of aortic stent-grafts]

BACKGROUND: Endoluminal stent graft placement for the treatment of infrarenal aortic aneurysms (AAA) has gained widespread acceptance because it is associated with lower perinterventional morbidity than conventional transabdominal surgery. In this study the long-term morbidity of the procedure was evaluated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 9/94 and 12/98, 150 patients (age = 69.6 +/- 8.5 y; m = 142, f = 8) with AAA were treated by placing an intravascular nitinol stent graft (Stentor, n = 55; Vanguard-System, n = 95; 8 tubular grafts, 142 bifurcated grafts). Initial placement of the stent graft was successful in 144 patients. In 12 % of stent graft placements we encountered one of the following complications (n, days after stent placement): migration or dislocation of the prosthesis (4, 914 +/- 220 d), rupture of the aorta (2, 452 d/802 d), recurrent thrombosis of the stent graft (3, 478 +/- 359 d), endoleak (3, 955 +/- 472 d), infection of the prosthesis (5, 798 +/- 495 d). There was no correlation between the complications and the type of stent used. All of these patients were treated by surgical replacement of the prosthesis with a dacron graft. CONCLUSIONS: 1. The results suggest that most complications are due to a continuation of the disease process leading to loosening of the prosthesis. 2. Explantation of the prosthesis and surgical repair is feasible but bears additional risks. 3. Since the onset of reperfusion of the excluded aneurysm can not be predicted, all patients with infrarenal aortic stent grafts require frequent computer tomographic follow up. 4. Lastly, the results call for further improvements in the design of the stent graft.     

Catamenial Bernard-Horner's syndrome related to thoracic endometriosis

We describe the case of a young woman with a recurrent right Bernard-Horner's syndrome associated with the onset of intermittent supraclavicular mass. Surgical excision of the mass revealed the endometrial pattern of the tumor and the close relationship between Bernard-Horner's syndrome and thoracic endometriosis. No other case of this syndrome has been reported in the literature.     

Chronic traumatic aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta: mid-term results of endovascular repair using first and second-generation stent-grafts.

OBJECTIVE: Endovascular stent-graft repair holds promise for treating traumatic injuries of the descending thoracic aorta. The durability of this approach, however, remains unknown. The objective is to evaluate the mid-term results of stent-graft repair of chronic traumatic aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta. METHODS: Between 1993 and 2000, endovascular repair of the descending thoracic aorta with first (custom-fabricated) and second-generation (commercial) stent-grafts was performed in 15 patients (mean age 54+/-13 years) at an average of 18+/-14 years after the injury. Because of comorbidities, 4 patients (27%) were judged not to be reasonable surgical candidates for conventional open surgical approach. Follow-up was 100% complete and averaged 55+/-29 months. RESULTS: Stent-graft deployment was successful in all without need for surgical conversion. One patient died early postoperatively. No neurologic complications occurred. Two patients had a primary endoleak, one of them was successfully treated before discharge. Actuarial survival estimates at 1 and 6 years were 93+/-6% and 85+/-10%. Actuarial freedom from reintervention on the descending thoracic aorta was 93+/-6% and 70+/-15% at 1 and 6 years, respectively. Actuarial freedom from treatment failure (a conservative, all-encompassing performance indicator including endoleak, device mechanical fault, reintervention, late aortic-related death, or sudden, unexplained late death) at 1 and 6 years was 87+/-8% and 51+/-15%. CONCLUSIONS: Stent-grafting is safe in selected patients with chronic traumatic aneurysms and associated with satisfactory-but not optimal-mid-term durability. Serial follow-up surveillance imaging is mandatory to detect late stent-graft complications. Younger, good risk patients should be offered conventional open operation, reserving stent-grafting for those who are at prohibitive operative risk or who have limited life expectancy.     

Anaesthetic problems in cross clamping of the thoracic aorta

Cross clamping of the descending thoracic aorta is performed in this hospital for graft replacement of suprarenal aneurysms or during endarterectomy for extensive aortic occlusive disease. The anaesthetic management of nine patients is described and the surgical results are presented. Proximal aortic clamping and declamping lead to profound haemodynamic changes. Myocardial infarction, ventricular failure and even death may result. Renal preservation during clamping and massive blood transfusion are also problems of this surgical approach. The measures taken to ameliorate the consequences of proximal aortic clamping are discussed in detail.     

Long-term problems related to immunosuppression

Long-term immunosuppression may produce several severe complications, highlighting cardiovascular complications and de novo malignancies, which are the main causes for late demise not related to graft.