How to do it: proximal elephant trunk insertion technique for preventing stroke during replacement of the descending...

To reduce the risk of stroke during open surgery for the treatment of descending thoracic or thoracoabdominal aortic diseases, we attempted to insert a proximal elephant trunk to stabilize the atherosclerosis at the site of the proximal anastomosis. Although the patients had dense atherosclerotic lesions, they recovered well without neurologic complications. This technique is simple and may be effective for preventing stroke when replacing the descending thoracic or thoracoabdominal aorta through a left thoracotomy.