Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with arterial branch reconstruction: utility of the temporary bypass technique

Between June 1992 and May 1996, five patients underwent an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair with concomitant arterial branch reconstruction. All of the patients were males ranging in age from 55 to 66 years (mean: 61.6 years). The operations were performed for a localized abdominal aortic dissection, a pseudoaneurysm after patch angioplasty of a supraceliac AAA, a pararenal AAA, a total AAA with retrograde descending thoracic aortic dissection, and a supraceliac AAA after an infrarenal AAA repair. All patients underwent bilateral renal artery (RA) reconstruction. Three patients also had a concomitant reconstruction of the superior mesenteric artery ad celiac axis. The renal arteries were preferentially reconstructed. Visceral circulation during aortic cross-clamping was maintained via a temporary bypass circuit. A temporary division of the left renal vein was necessary in two patients. Overall, the mean renal ischemia time was 17.2min (range: 10 to 32 min). There was one perioperative death due to sepsis from a graft infection. Another patient died 6 months postoperatively due to pyothorax. One patient required postoperative hemodialysis for 1 month. Based on the above findings, the temporary bypass technique is thus considered to be useful for maintaining physiologic organ perfusion during aortic clamping without the need to use any complicated devices.