[Application of multiple-branch prostheses in reconstruction of the aortic arch in DeBakey Type I aortic dissection]

Over the period from January 2002 to March 2005, a total of 78 patients were operated on for DeBakey type I aortic dissection. Of these, five patients underwent prosthetic reconstruction of the aortic arch and brachiocephalic arteries (BCA), performed with the help of the Dacron prosthesis Gelweave four-branch plexus Vascutek. The major indication for using this prosthesis was the extending of the dissection into the BC As, with various degree of obstruction thereof. The overwhelming majority of the patients were men (80 %). The patients' average age amounted to 44.3+/-5.6 years (ranging from 36 to 57 years). In three cases, the aortic dissection was of chronic course, with acute and subacute dissection being diagnosed in the remaining two cases. The median-sternotomy access, and additional approaches to the left and right common carotid arteries were used in order to carry out prosthetic reconstruction of the ascending branch, aortic arch, right subclavian artery, right common carotid artery (CCA) and left CCA with the help of the multiple-branch prosthesis. Protection of the brain consisted of craniocerebral hypothermia, hypothermal circulatory arrest in a combination with retrograde cerebral perfusions through the vena cava superior. The duration of the circulatory arrest averagely amounted to 59.2+/-4 min, with the mean time of artificial circulation equalling 230.6+/-19.7 min, and the time of aortic occlusion was 193.1+/-11 minutes. None of the patients developed either neurological or haemorrhagic complications postoperatively. Hence, the surgical technique using multiple-branch prostheses for prosthetic reconstruction of the aortic arch in type I aortic dissection with BCA obstruction proved to be effective and safe.