• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제57권1호
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• pp.99-102
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• 2024

This article presents a straightforward hybrid arch technique for treating residual type B aortic dissecting aneurysms following type A repair (replacement of the ascending aorta) that employs a frozen elephant trunk (FET) straight vascular prosthesis. The debranch-first method involves only cutting and sewing the previous ascending graft, inserting the FET from zone 0, and debranching the arch vessels using a trifurcated graft. This technique is less invasive as it eliminates the need to manipulate the dissected distal arch aneurysm. We successfully applied this technique to 3 patients, with no instances of in-hospital death, stroke, or paraplegia. The debranch-first technique, combined with zone-0 FET insertion, simplifies the redo repair of residual type B aortic dissection.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2017

Complex lesions of the thoracic aorta are traditionally treated in 2 surgical steps with the elephant trunk technique. A relatively new approach is the frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique, which potentially allows combined lesions of the thoracic aorta to be treated in a 1-stage procedure combining endovascular treatment with conventional surgery using a hybrid prosthesis. These are very complex and time-consuming operations, and good results can be obtained only if appropriate strategies for myocardial, cerebral, and visceral protection are adopted. However, the FET technique is associated with a non-negligible incidence of spinal cord injury, due to the extensive coverage of the descending aorta with the excessive sacrifice of intercostal arteries. The indications for the FET technique include chronic thoracic aortic dissection, acute or chronic type B dissection when endovascular treatment is contraindicated, chronic aneurysm of the thoracic aorta, and chronic aneurysm of the distal arch. The F ET technique is also indicated in acute type A aortic dissection, especially when the tear is localized in the aortic arch; in cases of distal malperfusion; and in young patients. In light of the great interest in the FET technique, the Vascular Domain of the European Association for cardio-thoracic Surgery published a position paper reporting the current knowledge and the state of the art of the FET technique. Herein, we describe the surgical techniques involved in the FET technique and we report our experience with the F ET technique for the treatment of complex aortic disease of the thoracic aorta.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.298-301
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• 2016

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has emerged as an effective therapy for a variety of thoracic aortic pathologies. However, various types of endoleak remain a major concern, and its treatment is often challenging. We report a case of type I endoleak occurring 19 months after zone II hybrid TEVAR. The endoleak was successfully repaired by the frozen elephant trunk technique, without removal of a previous stent graft, combined with ascending aorta and total arch replacement.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제42권3호
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• pp.375-379
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• 2009

원위부 대동맥궁에 발생한 대동맥류에 대한 수술을 위해서는 정중흉골 절개술 또는 측방개흉을 통한 수술방법이 있으나 문합 부위의 시야 확보가 용이하지 않은 경우가 자주 있다. 수술 대신 중재시술로 스텐트 그라프트를 삽입하는 방법 또한 가능하지만 동맥류보다 근위부에 충분한 고정 거리를 확보하기 위해서 대동맥궁 분지 일부를 결찰하고 우회로를 조성해야 할 필요가 있다는 제한이 있다. 저자들은 이들 방법의 장점을 취하고자 정중흉골절개술 후 완전 순환 정지 상태에서 대동맥궁을 치환하는 수술 중 외과적 문합 대신 스텐트 그라프트를 이용하여 인조혈관 원위부를 고정하는 방법을 취하여 양호한 결과를 얻은 경험을 보고한다.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.238-245
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• 2015

Background: Some patients show favorable changes in the descending aortic false lumen after conventional repair of acute type A dissection, although the incidence of favorable changes has been reported to be low. We aimed to investigate the incidence of positive postoperative changes in the false lumen and the factors associated with positive outcomes. Methods: In 63 patients who underwent surgery for type A acute dissection as well as serial computed tomography (CT) scanning, morphological parameters were compared between the preoperative, early postoperative (mean interval, 5.4 days), and late CT scans (mean interval, 31.0 months) at three levels of the descending thoracic aorta. Results: In the early postoperative CT images, complete false lumen thrombosis and/or true lumen expansion at the proximal descending aorta was observed in 46% of the patients. In the late images, complete thrombosis or resolution of the proximal descending false lumen occurred in 42.9% of the patients. Multivariate analysis found that juxta-anastomotic false lumen thrombosis was predictive of favorable early changes, which were in turn predictive of continuing later improvement. Conclusion: Even after conventional repair without inserting a frozen elephant trunk, the proximal descending aortic false lumen showed positive remodeling in a substantial number of patients. We believe that the long-term prognosis of type A dissection can be improved by refining surgical technique, and particularly by avoiding large intimal tears at the anastomosis site during the initial repair.