OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical efficacy between total aortic arch reconstruction with open triple-branched stent graft placement and total aortic replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation for patients with Stanford A aortic dissection.

METHODSPatients with Stanford A aortic dissection treated with surgical treatment from January 2006 to May 2011 were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups. Group I (n = 20) patients were treated by total arch replacement with stented elephant trunk procedure. Group II (n = 8) patients received open triple-branched stent graft placement. Echocardiography and aortic CT angiography were performed before and at 1 month after operation.

RESULTSAge, gender and disease severity were similar between the 2 groups (all P > 0.05). Operation was successful in all 28 patients. Cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross clamp time, circulation arrest time and duration of ventilator assisted breathing were significantly longer; postoperative drainage volume and blood transfusion volume were significantly larger and hospitalization cost was significantly higher in group I patients compared those in group II patients (all P < 0.05). One month after operation, the maximum internal diameter of aorta was smaller than pre-operation in both group I [(30.2 ± 3.1) mm vs. (42.5 ± 6.5) mm, P < 0.05] and group II [(31.5 ± 2.5) mm vs. (44.1 ± 7.3) mm, P < 0.05].

CONCLUSIONSShort-term procedural success rate was similar between the two groups. The total aortic arch reconstruction with open triple-branched stent graft placement procedure is simpler, shortens the operation time, reduces the blood transfusion volume and is more cost-effective compared to the classical aortic arch operation.