Repair of acute type A dissection with distal malperfusion using a novel hybrid arch device

Acute type A aortic dissection remains a high-risk surgical condition, and mortality among those presenting with malperfusion is up to 3-fold higher. Despite the added technical challenge of distal aortic arch interventions in the acute setting, it may be necessary to resolve distal malperfusion in patients with this disorder.  The ideal arch intervention to address acute type A aortic dissection complicated by malperfusion should address the following objectives: (1) to relieve distal malperfusion by expanding the distal true lumen and depressurizing the false lumen; (2) to avoid compromising arch branches without requiring additional arch branch interventions; (3) to minimize the risk of spinal cord ischemia; and (4) to minimize the operative duration and circulatory arrest time. The use of an uncovered aortic arch stent that is delivered in an antegrade manner during circulatory arrest, concomitantly with hemiarch replacement, therefore represents an attractive solution in the management of acute type A aortic dissection complicated by malperfusion. This strategy does not require complex arch reconstruction and may thus be a feasible option among cardiac and vascular surgeons in lower volume aortic centers.  Here we present a step-by-step approach to acute type A aortic dissection repair with hemiarch repair and delivery of an uncovered arch stent for a patient presenting with malperfusion.