[Acute complication of a composite graft replacement of the aortic root]

A 78-year old man operated for an acute aortic dissection 8 years ago was hospitalized for an unusual clinical presentation with acute cor pulmonale and superior vena caval syndrome. He had poorly controlled high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease with aorto-coronary by-pass 10 years ago. He underwent Bentall procedure 2 years later for type I acute aortic dissection, with vein graft reimplantation on the valvular conduit. A pseudoaneurysm was noted in the post-operative period, which remained stable at 45 mm during the follow-up. Thoracic CT-scan highlighted a 14.5 cm diameter pseudoaneurysm compressing the superior vena cava and right pulmonary artery. Detached right aorto-coronary by-pass, suspected on transesophageal echocardiography, was confirmed peri-operatively; the aortic anastomosis blood in the peri-prosthetic space, explaining the acute clinical picture. The severity of the lesions did not permit surgical repair and the patient died during operation. This observation evidences the complications observed after aortic root replacement and favors echographic and radiological follow-ups (J Mal Vasc 1999; 24: 381-383).