Abstract: Objective To evaluate surgical strategies for the treatment of acute Stanford type A aortic dissection with involvement of the aortic root. Methods From January 2005 to December 2010, 62 consecutive patients underwent emergency surgical intervention for acute Stanford type A aortic dissection with involvement of the aortic root in Renji Hospital Affiliated to Medical School of Shanghai Jiaotong University. According to different methods for the management of proximal aortic dissection, these patients were divided into 3 groups: group A, aortic valve commissural suspension＋supracommissural replacement of the ascending aorta （SCR）,including 28 patients （20 males and 8 females，mean age 45.2±15.6 years）; group B, partial sinus remodeling+ascending aortic replacement, including 10 patients （7 males and 3 females，mean age 44.6±14.9 years）；group C, Bentall procedure,including 24 patients （17 males and 7 females，mean age 46.2±15.6 years）. Clinical outcomes were compared among the three groups. Results Six patients died peri-operatively and in-hospital mortality was 9.67% （6/62）. Fifty-four patients were followed up, and the mean follow-up time was 27.3±15.7 months. During follow up, 2 patients died, one for lung cancer and the other for unknown reason. One patient in group A underwent CT scan 6 months after surgery which showed aortic root pseudo-aneurysm. Cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross-clamping time of group C were significantly longer than those of group A and group B （274±97 min vs. 194±65 min, 210±77 min, t=22.482, 30.419, P=0.002， 0.122；150±56 min vs. 97±33 min, 105±46 min, t=12.630, 17.089, P=0.000，0.034）. There was no statistical difference in mortality （t=1.352，P=0.516）, incidence of postoperative reexploration for bleeding, acute renal failure and neurological complication （t=0.855, 0.342, 2.281; P=0.652, 0.863, 0.320） among the three groups. Conclusion For patients with acute aortic dissection involving the aortic root, aortic valve commissural suspension+SCR，partial sinus remodeling＋ascending aortic replacement and Bentall procedure may be considered the surgical treatment of choice with respective advantages and disadvantages. Satisfactory clinical outcomes can be achieveed if surgical indications and procedures are properly employed.
Objective To discuss the clinical application value of CT angiography (CTA) in traumatic pelvic artery pseudoaneurysm and dissecting aneurysm. Methods A total of 8 patients including 7 with traumatic pelvic artery pseudoaneurysm and 1 with dissecting aneurysm diagnosed by CTA in Suining Central Hospital from August 2012 to January 2016 were enrolled in this study, in whom 6 patients with traumatic pseudoaneurysm treated with embolotherapy were confirmed by digital subtraction angiography. Image post-processing techniques of CTA including curve planar reformation, multiplanar reconstruction and volume rendering were used. Results In the seven patients diagnosed as solitary traumatic pelvic artery pseudoaneurysm by CTA, 3 had superior gluteal artery pseudoaneurysm, 2 had inferior gluteal artery pseudoaneurysm, and 2 had external iliac artery pseudoaneurysm. The 7 pseudoaneurysms were pouch-shaped with the short diameters ranged from 9 to 64 mm and the long diameters ranged from 11 to 78 mm. Six locations of artery laceration were displayed clearly, thereinto 1 case was combined with arteriovenous fistula. In addition, a vessel occlusion caused by the limitation of right external iliac artery dissecting aneurysm and the thrombosis in left side of the external iliac artery was found in 1 case. Conclusions As a non-invasive diagnostic technique, CTA can accurately diagnose traumatic pelvic artery pseudoaneurysm and dissecting aneurysm, clearly display the location relationship of pseudoaneurysm and its parent artery, and find whether arteriovenous fistula exists. Beyond that, the true and false lumen of dissecting aneurysm can be precisely identified by this technique. CTA can provide important image information for formulating individual treatment plan.
Objective To determine risk factors associated with postoperative hypoxemia after surgery for acute aortic dissection. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 116 patients with acute aortic dissection who underwent endovascular stent-graft exclusion or open surgery in Qingdao Municipal Hospital from February 2007 to February 2012. All the 116 patients were diagnosed as acute aortic dissection by CT angiography （CTA），including 60 patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection and 56 patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection. According to whether they had postoperative hypoxemia，all the 116 patients with acute aortic dissection were divided into hypoxemia group［arterial partial pressure of oxygen （PaO2） /fraction of inspired oxygen （FiO2） ＜200 mm Hg］：33 patients including 28 males and 5 females with their age of 52.7±11.4 years； and non-hypoxemia group（PaO2/FiO2≥200 mm Hg）：83 patients including 66 males and 17 females with their age of 55.0±13.8 years. Perioperative clinical data were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors of postoperative hypoxemia after surgery for acute aortic dissection. Results The incidence of postoperative hypoxemia after surgery for acute aortic dissection was 28.4% （33/116）. Perioperative death occurred in 13 patients（11.2%，including 8 patients in the hypoxemia group and 5 patients in the non-hypoxemia group）. Univariate analysis showed that preoperatively the percentages of patients with body mass index（BMI） ＞ 25 kg/m2，smoking history，duration from onset to operation ＜24 h，preoperative PaO2/FiO2≤300 mm Hg，and patients undergoing open surgery in the hypoxemia group were significantly higher than those in the non-hypoxemia group（P＜0.05）. Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest（DHCA） ratio，blood transfusion in 24 hours postoperatively，mechanical ventilation time，length of ICU stay and hospital stay in the hypoxemia group were significantly higher or longer than those in the non-hypoxemia group（P＜0.05）. Logistic multivariate regression identified BMI＞25 kg/m2（RR=98.861，P=0.006），DHCA（RR=22.487，P=0.007），preoperative PaO2/FiO2≤300 mm Hg（RR=9.080，P=0.037） and blood transfusion＞6 U in 24 hours postoperatively（RR=32.813，P=0.003） as independent predictors of postoperative hypoxemia for open-surgery patients，while BMI＞25 kg/m2 （RR=24.984，P=0.036） and preoperative PaO2/FiO2 ratio≤300 mm Hg （RR=21.145，P=0.042） as independent predictors of hypoxemia for endovascular stent-graft exclusion patients. Conclusion Postoperative hypoxemia is a common complication after surgery for acute aortic dissection. Early interventions for obesity and preoperative hypoxemia，and reducing perioperative blood transfusion may decrease the incidence of postoperative hypoxemia after surgery for acute aortic dissection.