Total arch replacement with elephant trunk procedure for retrograde dissection

Background The surgical management of type A dissection with the intimal tear in the descending aorta—retrograde dissection—has some challenging aspects because the standard approach through a median sternotomy for ascending aortic dissection is difficult in these cases in which the intimal tear is located in the descending aorta. Methods From January 1995 to December 2001, 12 (8.6%) consecutive patients aged 40 to 71 years underwent total arch replacement with an elephant trunk procedure through a median sternotomy for retrograde dissection of the ascending aorta (acute: 10, chronic: 2) among 139 patients with type A dissection. The intimal tear was located in the descending aorta in all patients. Dissection extended proximally to the aortic root in 7 patients and to the ascending aorta in 5, and extended distally to the abdominal aorta in 4 and to the common iliac artery in 8. Results Hospital mortality occurred in 1 patient (8%) owing to multiple organ failure after malperfusion of the renal arteries. Postoperatively the false lumen in the descending aorta was closed in all patients who survived but the false lumen in the abdominal aorta was patent in 9. The thoracic and abdominal aorta had slight dilatation in 2 patients. Conclusions These data suggest that total arch replacement with an elephant trunk procedure through a median sternomy should be recommended in patients with type A dissection and the intimal tear in the descending aorta. This procedure induces thrombosis of the remaining false lumen in the distal aorta postoperatively.