Arch and visceral/renal debranching combined with endovascular repair for thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms

ObjectiveWe report a single-center experience using the hybrid procedure, consisting of open debranching, followed by endovascular aortic repair, for treatment of arch/proximal descending thoracic/thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAA).MethodsFrom 2005 to 2010, 51 patients (33 men; mean age, 70 years) underwent a hybrid procedure for arch/proximal descending thoracic/TAAA. The 30-day and in-hospital morbidity and mortality rates, and late endoleak, graft patency, and survival were analyzed. Graft patency was assessed by computed tomography, angiography, or duplex ultrasound imaging.ResultsHybrid procedures were used to treat 27 thoracic (16 arch, 11 proximal descending thoracic) and 24 TAAA (Crawford/Safi types I to III: 3; type IV: 12; type V: 9). The hybrid procedure involved debranching 47 arch vessels or 77 visceral/renal vessels using bypass grafts, followed by endovascular repair. Seventy-five percent of debranching and endovascular repair procedures were staged, with an average interval of 28 days. Major 30-day and in-hospital complications occurred in 39% of patients and included bypass graft occlusion in four, endoleak reintervention in two, and paraplegia in one. Mortality was 3.9%. During a mean follow-up of 13 months, three additional type II endoleaks required intervention, and one bypass graft occluded. No aneurysm rupture occurred during follow-up. Primary bypass graft patency was 95.3%. Actuarial survival was 86% at 1 year and 67% at 3 years.ConclusionThe hybrid procedure is associated with acceptable rates of mortality and paraplegia when used for treatment of arch/proximal descending thoracic/TAAA. These results support this procedure as a reasonable approach to a difficult surgical problem; however, longer follow-up is required to appraise its ultimate clinical utility.