[Extra-anatomic aortic bypass for repair of aortic arch diseases in adults]

Surgical management of aortic arch diseases in the adult are challenging. Use of extra-anatomic conduits are a well established form of treatment. We report a retrospective study of four patients operated on in our institution between 2000 and 2006, using this technique. Two patients had a median sternotomy, one a left thoracotomy and one a right thoracotomy. There were no perioperative mortality and all patients were alive and doing well after a mean follow-up of 19 months. In this subset of patients, surgical treatment should be individualized. In our experience, extra-anatomic bypass is a valuable, effective and safe surgical option.