Frozen elephant trunk technique with different proximal landing zone for aortic dissection

The objective of the study was to evaluate early and midterm outcomes after the frozen elephant trunk (FET) procedure with different proximal landing zones in patients with aortic dissection.

Forty-four patients with type A and type B aortic dissection that extended down to the abdominal aorta were enrolled in the study. All of the patients had the FET procedure. The patients were divided in 2 groups according to the level of the proximal landing zone: the zone 2 (Z2) group and zone 3 (Z3) group. Early and midterm outcomes including the false lumen (FL) thrombosis rate were monitored in both groups.

The incidence of stroke, delirium and spinal cord ischaemia was 5.9% vs 3.7% (P = 0.533), 5.9% vs 7.4% (P = 0.903) and 5.9% vs 0 (P = 0.533) in the Z2 and Z3 groups, respectively. The 30-day mortality was 9.1% in both groups. The mean distal landing zone was T7.5 (T7; T9) in the Z2 group vs T9 (T8; T10) in the Z3 group (P = 0.668). The 2-year overall survival was 62.2% with no significant difference in the Z2 and Z3 groups (61.6% vs 64.2%; P = 0.940). There were no aortic-related deaths during the follow-up period. Freedom from reintervention at 24 months was 73% and was comparable between Z2 and Z3 (74.1% vs 91.7%; P = 0.123). The rate of early complete FL thrombosis was comparable in the Z2 and Z3 groups. By 24 months of observation in the Z3 group, the rate of complete FL thrombosis was significantly higher (60% vs 77%; P = 0.046).

No statistically significant differences were observed between landing zones 2 and 3 during the FET procedure with regard to early outcomes. Proximalization of the FET was associated with a shorter FL thrombosis in the midterm follow-up period that affected the distal aortic reintervention rate.