Surgery for acute aortic dissection: an easy and cheap method to reinforce the anastomosis

Bleeding from the anastomotic site is a frequent complication of surgery for acute aortic dissection. Many methods have been devised in order to avoid this problem. We report a simple, easy technique to reinforce the anastomotic sites. One small 4-mm-high ring is cut from the same prosthesis and placed circumferentially inside the aorta edge. Another ring of the same width is opened in a "C" shape, and placed outside the aorta. The conduit was eventually sutured to the aorta in a standard fashion using a running 3-0 polypropylene suture. The final result appeared good with no bleeding, and the rim lines appear clearer and the edges easier to suture because the Dacron is thinner than other used materials (that is, Teflon). In our opinion, this technique is a simple method to reinforce the anastomosis for both proximal and distal aorta.