Retrograde cerebral perfusion for aortic arch surgery: analysis of risk factors

Retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) has been widely adopted during aortic arch surgery under hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA). However, the risks in terms of mortality and morbidity in aortic arch surgery using HCA with RCP have not yet been confirmed.

The present study is a retrospective review of 249 patients who underwent aortic arch surgery at three Japanese cardiovascular centers where RCP is a routine adjunct. The median age was 65 years, and 38 patients were more than 75 years old. The pathology in the aortic arch was atherosclerotic aneurysm in 133 patients and dissection in 116. Seventy patients had surgery on an emergency basis. Surgery was performed through a median sternotomy in 182 patients and through a left thoracotomy in 67. Using HCA with RCP, graft replacement of the total aortic arch was performed in 109, the distal arch in 63, and the ascending aorta and hemi-arch in 66; 11 patients had patch repair.

The overall hospital mortality was 25/249 (10%), and 12/70 (17%) in emergent surgery. Stroke developed in 11 patients (4%). The median duration of RCP was 46 minutes (range, 5 to 95). Univariate analysis of risk factors revealed that an age of 75 years or more (p < 0.001), and urgency of surgery (p = 0.02) affected hospital mortality. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that pump time (p = 0.0001), age (p = 0.0001) and RCP time (p = 0.05) are the most significant risk factors for mortality. The risk factors for mortality and neurological morbidity combined are pump time (p = 0.0001), age (p = 0.0002), and urgency of surgery (p = 0.07); RCP time is marginally significant (p = 0.15).

The dominant risk factors for mortality and morbidity are pump time, urgency of the surgery, and age. RCP is a simple and useful adjunct for aortic arch surgery with up to 80 minutes of HCA, although prolonged RCP is a risk factor for mortality and morbidity.