OBJECTIVESTo summarize the clinical experience of stented elephant trunk with femoral artery bypass grafting procedure to treat severe aneurysmal dilation of Stanford A aortic dissection or aortic aneurysm. To study the surgical indication and surgical strategy of chronic Stanford A aortic dissection and aneurysmal dilation, also to summarize the early follow-up results.

METHODSFrom February 2006 to November 2011, 19 patients with Stanford A aortic dissection or aortic aneurysm with extented aneurysmal dilation (megaaorta) received stented elephant trunk with femoral artery bypass grafting procedure. There were 3 acute cases and 16 chronic cases with 14 male patients and 5 female patients. Average age of this group was (42 ± 8) years and average body weight was (70 ± 15) kg. One patient was aortic aneurysm and all the other were Stanford A aortic dissection. Eight patients were Mafan's syndrome. Ascending aorta replacement or Bentall's operation was done first and total arch replacement and stented elephant trunk operation was done under deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest. After the patient was weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass, bypass from ascending aorta to femoral artery was done subcutaneously using the 10 mm graft in the same femoral incision.

RESULTSThere was no operative mortality. One patient had chylothorax which recovered with medical treatment and one patient got paraplegia after surgery. The cardiopulmonary bypass time was (176 ± 42) minutes, aortic cross clamping time was (88 ± 25) minutes and deep hypothermia and low flow rate time was (23 ± 8) minutes. The blood pressure of the lower extremities were normal after operation. Follow-up time was (22 ± 19) months. All patients survived. False lumen closure rate at the stent level was 100%. CT scan at 3 to 6 months after operation showed no obvious dilation of the descending aorta. Two patient successfully received second stage operation of total (subtotal) thoracoabdominal aorta replacement.

CONCLUSIONSStented elephant trunk and aorta to femoral artery bypass is a safe procedure to treat aortic dissection or aortic aneurysm with extended aneurysmal dilation. This procedure can effectively increase the blood supply of the lower extremities due to small true lumen of the descending aorta, and may decrease the speed of dilation of the false lumen. It is also a practical procedure to lay the foundation for the second stage operation of normothemia thoracoabdominal aorta replacement.