• Maximilian Luehr, Christian D Etz, Michal Nozdrzykowski, Lukas Lehmkuhl, Martin Misfeld, Farhad Bakhtiary, Michael A Borger, and Friedrich-Wilhelm Mohr.
• Department of Cardiac Surgery, Leipzig Heart Centre, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany mail@dr-luehr.net.
• Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2016 Feb 1; 49 (2): 652-8; discussion 658-9.

ObjectivesManagement of patients with acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) and cerebral malperfusion secondary to occlusion or stenosis of the left common carotid artery (LCCA) or right common carotid artery (RCCA) is a significant challenge. The aim of this study is to present our institutional strategy and postoperative results for this high-risk patient cohort.MethodsBetween November 2005 and July 2013, 23 of 354 consecutively operated AADA patients [median age: 66.3; interquartile range (IQR): 55.2-69.9] suffered from cerebral malperfusion due to bilateral (n = 1) or unilateral occlusion of the LCCA/RCCA (n = 22). AADA repair comprised hemi- (n = 14) or total (n = 9) arch replacement in combination with aortic valve repair (n = 7) or replacement (n = 11), root replacement (n = 15) and coronary bypass (n = 3). Extra-anatomic aorto-carotid bypass was performed in all patients. Aorto-carotid bypass was performed at the beginning of the procedure to allow for unilateral selective cerebral perfusion (n = 17; 73.9%) or during the procedure if persisting malperfusion was suspected by near-infrared spectroscopy (n = 6; 26.1%).ResultsThe median follow-up was 15.2 months (IQR: 4.8-34.1) and 100% complete. Median hospital stay and ICU stay were 16.0 (IQR: 12.5-26.0) and 13.7 (IQR: 2.0-16.5) days, respectively. Rethoracotomy for haemorrhage or cardiac tamponade was performed in 6 (26.1%) patients. Other postoperative complications comprised low cardiac output with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (n = 2; 8.7%), sepsis (n = 4; 17.4%), respiratory insufficiency (n = 10; 43.5%), renal failure with temporary dialysis (n = 7; 30.4%) and visceral malperfusion (n = 2; 8.7%) requiring stent grafting (n = 1) or laparotomy with intestinal resection (n = 1). New stroke with or without permanent sensory or motor deficit was diagnosed in 8 (34.8%) patients. Temporary neurological deficits were seen in 9 (39.1%) individuals. Hospital and 1-year mortality rates were 13.0 and 30.4%, respectively. Overall survival after 36 months of the 23 patients (Group I = Extra-anatomic bypass) versus the remaining 331 AADA patients without distal RCCA/LCCA occlusion (Group II = no extra-anatomic bypass) was 69.6% (n = 16) in Group I vs 72.5% (n = 240) in Group II (P = 0.90).ConclusionExtra-anatomic bypass for LCCA or RCCA occlusion allows for early selective cerebral perfusion during AADA repair, and may reduce the risk of neurological complications in patients with preoperative cerebral malperfusion.© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

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