[Results of surgical treatment of aortic dissections]

From January 1989 to September 1993, 59 consecutive patients (35 males and 24 females, mean age 59.6 years old) underwent surgical repair of aortic dissection on the cardiovascular surgical unit at Takeda Hospital. The type of aortic dissection were classified according to Stanford University criteria. Twenty-two patients had acute type A (Ac-A), 10 had chronic type A (Ch-A), 4 had acute type B (Ac-B), and 23 had chronic type B (Ch-B) dissection. Seventeen dissections (29%) in the entire group of 59 cases had ruptured (including cardiac tamponade, pleural effusion and hemoptysis etc.). Ischemia of lower extremity occurred in 7 patients and ischemia of visceral organs in 3 patients. Type A dissection were approached via a median sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass with systemic hypothermia. Type B dissections were approached through a left postrolateral thoracotomy. Left heart bypass (left atrial-femoral in 8 cases) and partial cardiopulmonary bypass (femoral-femoral in 12 cases) generally were utilized. Resection of intimal tear and replacement of aorta with vascular grafts (including aortic arch in 19 cases) were performed in most patients and primary closure of the intimal tear was performed in 9 cases using GRF. The over-all operative mortality rate was 36% (8/22) for Ac-A, 20% (2/10) for Ch-A, 25% (1/4) for Ac-B, 22% (5/23) for Ch-B. Main causes of operative death was perioperative brain damage. It is necessary to improve the operative mortality for Ac-A dissections (especially in replacement of aortic arch and arch vessels). Further researches are needed regarding optimal methods of the cerebral protection during reconstruction of aortic arch.