[Surgical management of traumatic thoracic aortic aneurysms using the TDMAC-heparin shunt]

Rupture of the aorta frequently occurs in major blunt trauma to the thorax, but few patients survive long enough to develop a chronic aneurysm. A TDMAC-heparin-coated shunt was used for operative procedures on the thoracic descending aorta in 5 patients aged 18--40 years. The lesions constituted in 4 recent ruptures and 1 chronic aneurysm. In 3 cases the aneurysm was resected and replaced with a prosthetic graft. End-to-end aorta sutures were performed in the other two cases. One patient died of renal and pulmonary insufficiency. There have been no complications attributable the shunt. The advantage of this shunt include elimination of the need for systemic heparin, avoidance of hypertension during crosslamping, and adequate perfusion of the distal circulation without an interposed pump. Because of the ease of handling and low risk we consider the use of this shunt the preferred method for operative procedures on the thoracic descending aorta.