Extracorporeal techniques in thoracoabdominal aortic surgery

Most complications related to thoracoabdominal aortic reconstruction stem from ischemia-induced injury to the viscera, kidneys, and spinal cord. In addition to adjunctive methods designed to minimize metabolic demands of the spinal cord during aortic cross-clamping, a variety of extracorporeal techniques have been developed that provide supplemental blood flow to vital end organs during the period of clamp-induced ischemia. These techniques represent a broad range of design complexities and command significant operator expertise to optimize their benefit. This section briefly describes commonly used extracorporeal circulation methods in thoracoabdominal aortic surgery.