BACKGROUNDEndovascular stent-grafting is widely used to treat thoracic aortic dissection. However, little information is available regarding outcome following simultaneous exclusion of multiple tears. This report details eight years of experience using simultaneous multi-tear exclusion for treatment of Stanford type B thoracic aortic dissection resulting in successful aortic remodeling without adverse events.

METHODSFrom September 1998 to January 2006, 29 type B thoracic aortic dissection patients (24 men, 5 women; 27 chronic, 2 acute; mean age 58 years, range 45 - 77 years) were treated by simultaneous multi-tear exclusion in our center. Magnetic resonance angiography was used as the preoperative evaluation method. Different kinds of stent-grafts were used. The patients were followed up with contrast-enhanced spiral computed tomography at 6 months postoperatively and yearly thereafter.

RESULTSTwenty-nine surgeries were completed successfully using at least 2 stent-grafts per patient (range: 2 - 6, mean: 2.7). No major procedure-related complications, such as rupture, paraplegia, aortic branch ischemia or cerebral infarction, were observed. During follow-up, favorable remodeling of the aorta was observed.

CONCLUSIONSThe mid-term result of thoracic aortic dissection with simultaneous multi-tear exclusion was satisfactory. With the improvement of stent-grafts, simultaneous multi-tear exclusion should find wider application and become an optimal strategy for thoracic aortic dissection.

Aged ; Aneurysm, Dissecting ; pathology ; surgery ; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic ; pathology ; surgery ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stents ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence of extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) and its risk factors in very preterm infants (VPIs) during hospitalization in China. METHODS: A prospective multicenter study was performed on the medical data of 2 514 VPIs who were hospitalized in the department of neonatology in 28 hospitals from 7 areas of China between September 2019 and December 2020. According to the presence or absence of EUGR based on the evaluation of body weight at the corrected gestational age of 36 weeks or at discharge, the VPIs were classified to two groups: EUGR group (n=1 189) and non-EUGR (n=1 325). The clinical features were compared between the two groups, and the incidence of EUGR and risk factors for EUGR were examined. RESULTS: The incidence of EUGR was 47.30% (1 189/2 514) evaluated by weight. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that higher weight growth velocity after regaining birth weight and higher cumulative calorie intake during the first week of hospitalization were protective factors against EUGR (P<0.05), while small-for-gestational-age birth, prolonged time to the initiation of total enteral feeding, prolonged cumulative fasting time, lower breast milk intake before starting human milk fortifiers, prolonged time to the initiation of full fortified feeding, and moderate-to-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia were risk factors for EUGR (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS It is crucial to reduce the incidence of EUGR by achieving total enteral feeding as early as possible, strengthening breastfeeding, increasing calorie intake in the first week after birth, improving the velocity of weight gain, and preventing moderate-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia in VPIs.
Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Gestational Age ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors