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Published on: July 16, 2018
Malperfusion in Patients With Acute Type A Aortic Dissection: A Nationwide Analysis
Nicholas J Goel1, John J Kelly1, William L Patrick1
1Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Leonard Davis Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Penn Cardiovascular Outcomes, Quality, & Evaluative Research Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Insights
Malperfusion in acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is common and significantly increases operative mortality, with outcomes varying by affected region. Surgical strategies like partial arch replacement did not worsen mortality in these high-risk patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Thoracic Surgery
- Aortic Disease Research
Background:
- Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) presents a significant clinical challenge with high mortality.
- Malperfusion, a complication of ATAAD, further exacerbates poor patient outcomes.
- Understanding the scope and impact of malperfusion is crucial for optimizing ATAAD treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the clinical burden of malperfusion in a large national cohort of ATAAD patients.
- To evaluate the impact of different surgical treatment strategies on outcomes in ATAAD patients with and without malperfusion.
- To identify specific vascular beds most affected by malperfusion and their association with mortality.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Adult Cardiac Surgery Database from 2017-2020.
- Inclusion of all patients undergoing repair for ATAAD.
- Definition of malperfusion based on STS criteria; multivariable logistic regression for outcome analysis.
Main Results:
- Preoperative malperfusion occurred in 27.7% of 9958 ATAAD repair patients, commonly affecting extremities, renal, and cerebral circulations.
- Operative mortality was substantially higher in patients with malperfusion (26.8%) compared to those without (13.6%).
- Coronary and mesenteric malperfusion were independently associated with increased mortality; cerebral malperfusion was not.
Conclusions:
- Preoperative malperfusion is a frequent and serious complication of ATAAD, significantly increasing operative mortality.
- The mortality risk associated with malperfusion varies depending on the specific vascular territory affected.
- Partial aortic arch replacement demonstrated similar mortality rates to ascending aorta or hemiarch replacement in ATAAD patients, irrespective of malperfusion status.
Background:
This study describes in detail the clinical burden of malperfusion associated with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) in a large, national cohort and the effect of treatment strategy on outcomes.
Methods:
All patients undergoing repair of ATAAD between 2017 and 2020 in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Adult Cardiac Surgery Database were studied. Malperfusion was defined using STS definitions on the basis of imaging or the surgeon's evaluation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the effect of patient and treatment factors on outcomes in patients with and without malperfusion.
Results:
A total of 9958 patients undergoing ATAAD repair were studied. Preoperative malperfusion occurred in 27.7% (2748 of 9958) of cases and most often involved the extremity (14.9%; 1484 of 9958), renal (10.2%), or cerebral (9.8%) vascular beds. Operative mortality was much greater among patients with malperfusion (26.8% vs 13.6%; P < .001). After adjustment, coronary malperfusion was associated with the highest odds of mortality (odds ratio, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.85-2.81; P < .001) followed by mesenteric malperfusion (odds ratio, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.45-2.28; P < .001). Cerebral malperfusion was not independently associated with significantly increased odds of mortality (odds ratio, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.94-1.38; P = .18). Partial arch replacement (zone 1 or zone 2) compared with ascending aorta or hemiarch replacement only showed a similar rate of mortality in patients with malperfusion (24.8% vs 26.9%; P = .99) and without malperfusion (11.6% vs 13.6%; P = .54).
Conclusions:
Preoperative malperfusion in ATAAD was common and associated with significant operative mortality, which varied according to the malperfused region. Partial aortic arch replacement, compared with ascending aorta or hemiarch replacement alone, was not associated with increased mortality.
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