The availability of a Dacron landing zone on the distal ascending aorta after type A acute aortic dissection repair allows the exclusion, with a thoracic endovascular aortic repair, of any residual intimal tear refilling a patent false lumen. This approach seems to be associated with a high probability of false lumen thrombosis and low rates of reoperations on the distal aorta.
The Morrow procedure uses a midline sternotomy, with the left ventricle and septum accessed by the aortic valve through a vertical aortotomy. 4 The potential limitations of the procedure include small, but persistent, risks of an aortotomy (eg, postoperative bleeding, aortic dissection), difficulties with visualizing the surgical anatomy, and the risk of aortic valve damage (approximately 5% rate of moderate aortic regurgitation postoperatively 5 ).A robotic approach using the left atrium and across the mitral valve is an alternative and more direct route to the ventricular septum that can circumvent the limitations of the standard transaortic approach. The required robotic manipulation of the mitral valve for left ventricular septum access seems less risky than the transaortic route across the often friable aortic valve for provoking valvular damage.Although additional studies are needed to evaluate the frequency of associated complications, our robot-assisted technique could be an acceptable alternative to the Morrow procedure.
BackgroundThe Trifecta aortic bioprosthesis (St. Jude Medical, Inc., St. Paul, MN, USA) is a stented pericardial heart valve with excellent preliminary results. Aim of the study was to evaluate its early clinical and hemodynamic performances in a multicenter regional registry.MethodsBetween January 2011 and June 2012, 178 consecutive patients undergoing aortic valve replacement with the Trifecta bioprosthesis were prospectively enrolled at 9 Italian centers. Clinical and echocardiographic data were collectedat discharge, 6-months and at 1-year postoperatively.ResultsThe average age was 75.4 ± 7.7 years,and 95 (53 %) were men. Indication for valve replacement included stenosis in 123 patients (69 %), mixed lesions in 25 (14 %), and regurgitation in 30 (17 %). Ninety-three (52 %) patients were in NYHA functional class III/ IV. Hospital mortality accounted for 5 (2.8 %) patients. No valve-related perioperative complications were encountered. Median follow-up was 20.5 months (range: 1-34). Early (≤6 months) complications included one thromboembolic event, one major bleeding, and 3 endocarditis (2 explants). Two late (>6 months) thromboembolic events and two endocarditis (1 explant) were registered. No valve thrombosis or structural deterioration were observed after discharge. At 30-months, freedom from all-cause mortality was 87 %, freedom from valve-related mortality 99.4 %, freedom from endocarditis 97.5 %, and freedom from valve explants 98 %. At 1-year, mean gradients ranged from 8 to 16 mmHg, and effective orifice area indexes from 1.0 to 1.2 cm2/m2 for valve sizes from 19 to27 mm, respectively. No patients had severe prosthesis-patient mismatch.ConclusionsTrifecta bioprosthesis provided favourable clinical and hemodynamic results over time.
These results evidence that the Lupiae technique is a safe and effective option for the treatment of patients with MAS, achieving the complete exclusion of thoraco-abdominal aneurysms and of the residual false lumen in patients with acute aortic dissections.
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