Double-Barrel Anastomotic False Aortic Aneurysm

A 68-year-old woman, who had been well for two years after ascending aortic graft replacement, experienced sudden chest pain. Computed tomography showed a large false aortic aneurysm around the prosthetic graft. However, the patient was hemodynamically stable and did not have anemia. Urgent surgical procedure under hypothermic circulatory arrest revealed tears at both the proximal and distal anastomotic sites and blood circulating from the proximal (entry) to the distal (re-entry) tears underneath the pericardium. To our knowledge, the present case represents unreported pathology that could be of great interest to cardiologists and cardiac surgeons.