Current status of surgical treatment for acute aortic dissection in Japan: Nationwide database analysis

To clarify the current status of surgical treatment of acute aortic dissection (AAD) in Japan through the Japan Cardiovascular Database analysis.

In total, 7194 patients who underwent surgical treatment for AAD in 2021, including type A (TAAAD) (n = 6416) and type B (TBAAD) (n = 778), were investigated.

The median age was 70 years, with patients older than age 80 years constituting 21.7% and 23.4% of TAAAD and TBAAD cases. Emergency admission was 88.5% and 78.5%. Shock was found in 11.8% and 6.0%. Rupture/impending rupture occurred in 10.7%/6.0% and 24.0%/11.1%, respectively. Branch malperfusion was complicated in 10.4% and 25.2%. Open repairs were performed in 97.7% and 20.3%, whereas endovascular repairs were performed in 2.3% and 79.7%, respectively. In the increased prevalence of endografting procedures, neurological complications and renal failure occurred frequently after open repair with frozen elephant trunk for 29.9% and 50.3%. The operative mortality rate was 9.8% and 11.5% for open repair and 8.1% and 10.0% for endovascular repair. In patients with TAAAD, age older than 80 years, preoperative critical comorbidities, classical dissection, and coexisting chronic vital organ diseases were independent risk factors for mortality. In frozen elephant trunk procedures, neurologic complications and renal failure were frequent. The operative mortality was higher during the superacute phase within 1 or 2 hours from onset to arrival and between arrival and surgery.

The current status of surgical treatments for AAD including the increased prevalence of endografting of thoracic endovascular aortic repair and frozen elephant trunk were demonstrated with favorable outcomes in the Japan Cardiovascular Database analyses.