Aortic remodelling effect of the frozen elephant trunk technique on Stanford type A acute aortic dissection

Total arch replacement using the frozen elephant trunk procedure is performed for true lumen expansion of the descending aorta in patients with type A acute aortic dissection. However, the remodelling effect of the frozen elephant trunk on the dissected descending aorta is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the effect of the frozen elephant trunk on postoperative descending aortic remodelling after surgery. Between December 2012 and January 2020, we retrospectively investigated 24 patients who underwent total arch replacement using the frozen elephant trunk for type A acute aortic dissection. Remodelling of the descending aorta was evaluated using computed tomography. The aortic remodelling effect, based on aortic true lumen ratio, was determined for (i) DeBakey type (type I versus type III retrograde); (ii) thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair reintervention status (reintervention versus no reintervention); and (iii) stent length of the frozen elephant trunk (60 vs 90 mm). Postoperative true lumen ratio significantly increased in the type I dissection group. The true lumen ratio in the no-reintervention group, which had many patients with the type I dissection, significantly increased after the frozen elephant trunk. Aortic remodelling due to the frozen elephant trunk can be expected after type I acute aortic dissections.