[Selection of the surgical methods and surgical outcome of the distal arch aneurysm]

Between January, 1985, and December, 1993, 20 patients (18 males, 2 females; median age 65 years) underwent repair of aneurysms of the distal arch. fourteen patients had sacciform aneurysms and 6 patients had fusiform aneurysms. The approaching methods to the aneurysms were left thoracotomy in 3 patients and median sternotomy in 17 patients, including the so-called "door open method" in 2 patients. The supportive methods during surgery were left heart bypass using a centrifugal pump in 3 patients cardiopulmonary bypass with selective cerebral perfusion in 11 patients, and cardiopulmonary bypass with retrograde cerebral perfusion in 6 patients. The operative methods were patch closure in 4 patients, graft replacement using the inclusion technique in 13 patients, and total arch replacement using the exclusion technique in 3 patients. One patient who underwent left heart bypass died intraoperatively from intractable bleeding, one who had undergone selective cerebral perfusion died postoperatively of rupture of the distal anastomosis and two patients, who were supported with retrograde cerebral perfusion, died postoperatively because of perioperative myocardial infarction or rupture of the dissection arising from the aneurysm. There were three cases with cerebral complications postoperatively. These three patients were supported with selective cerebral perfusion. Graft exclusion technique using a prosthetic graft with three branches under the retrograde cerebral perfusion shortened cardiopulmonary bypass time and heart and brain ischemic time, so that this technique might reduce cerebral complications and should be a promising surgical treatment for the distal arch aneurysm.