Medium-term results after surgery for aortic arch aneurysm with hypothermic cerebral perfusion

We have used two techniques of hypothermic cerebral perfusion (CP) for the surgical treatment of aortic arch aneurysm in the last 10 years. Between March 1985 and December 1993, 83 patients underwent surgery for aortic arch aneurysm. Fifty-one cases had aortic dissection (AD) in the transverse arch and/or its branches, and 32 cases showed true aneurysm (TA) of the aortic arch. In those 83 patients, 37 cases received antegrade CP and 46 cases underwent retrograde CP. Surgical results were compared among the groups by Kaplan-Meier actuarial method and Cox-Mantel statistical analysis. The early mortality after surgery for aortic arch aneurysm was 11.8% in the AD group and 21.9% in the TA group. The early mortality was 21.6% with antegrade CP and 10.9% with retrograde CP. The 6-year actuarial survival rate was 71.7% in the TA group and 67.1% in the AD group. In the AD group, the 3-year survival rate was 93.9% with retrograde CP and 61.1% with antegrade CP (P < 0.005). In the TA group, the 3-year survival rate was similar for antegrade CP (73.3%) and retrograde CP (69.2%). These results suggest that current surgical results of aortic arch aneurysm with hypothermic CP are acceptable and the retrograde CP technique might be recommended, especially for surgery of aortic arch aneurysm with AD.