Techniques of reinforcing the ascending thoracic aorta

Two techniques of reinforcing the ascending thoracic aorta with Dacron vascular prosthetic material are described. Circular reinforcement has been used patients with fusiform dilatation of the ascending thoracic aorta in whom it was considered that graft replacement was unsuitable, and also in patients with a thin-walled aorta, where reinforcement was thought to be beneficial in preventing dehiscence of an aortic suture line. The techniques are described in two patients who underwent aortic valve replacement and who had aneurysmal dilatation of the ascending thoracic aorta.