Total aortic repair for acute type A aortic dissection: a new paradigm

The currently accepted guidelines of open surgical repair for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) include the resection of the primary entry tear, replacement of the ascending aorta and "hemi-arch" with an open distal anastomosis, and aortic valve resuspension and some form of obliteration of the aortic root false lumen. The principal aim being protection against aortic rupture, aortic regurgitation, and coronary ischemia and restoration of antegrade preferential true lumen perfusion. Proponents argue that this operation is tailored to be in the armamentarium of most cardiac surgeons and deliver the lowest early operative risk, while leaving the infrequent long-term sequelae to be dealt with electively by experienced aortic centres. While a superficially compelling argument, the actual outcomes suggest that it falls significantly short of achieving its noble goals on both acute and chronic counts. This led us to develop a seemingly more radical but in practise safe paradigm, which aims to achieve total aortic healing in the acute phase.