An alternative approach to diffuse thoracic aortomegaly: on-pump hybrid total arch repair without circulatory arrest

Diffuse thoracic aortomegaly has conventionally been managed with a two-stage elephant trunk procedure, requiring prolonged circulatory arrest, with an inherent risk of major morbidity and mortality. Recently, to improve outcomes, several hybrid arch procedures have been proposed using off-pump techniques. We have adopted an alternative, single-stage hybrid strategy using cardiopulmonary bypass without circulatory arrest to replace the ascending aorta and perform arch debranching and antegrade endovascular stent graft deployment. Unlike off-pump procedures, pathology of the aortic valve, root, and ascending aorta is addressed while avoiding the complications of stent graft placement in the native ascending aorta.