We successfully treated a case of extra-anatomical revascularization using an extrathoracic approach for what is called subclavian steal syndrome, and we describe the operative method. A 65-year-old man with dizziness was examined by digital subtraction assessment and given a diagnosis of subclavian steal syndrome by occlusion of left subclavian artery. He was relatively young for his age with good general condition, and no lesion were detected in aortic arch branches and cerebral arteries except for left subclavian artery. Therefore we performed left common carotid artery-subclavian artery bypass using a prosthetic graft. The preoperative symptoms and difference in blood pressure among arteries of the upper limbs disappeared, and he was discharged 15 days after surgery.

A case of successful surgical revascularization for mid-aortic syndrome is reported, with discussion of the operative method. A 10-year-old boy with headache and vomiting was admitted to our hospital for excessive hypertension. A diagnosis of mid-aortic syndrome with severe stenosis of abdominal aorta and stenosis or occlusion of bilateral renal arteries was made. His hypertension did not respond to conservative treatment. Therefore we performed aorto-aorta bypass using a prosthetic graft and revascularization of the bilateral renal arteries. The preoperative symptoms disappeared, his blood pressure became controllable, and he was discharged on the 21st day after surgery. At present, he attends school and has a normal blood pressure without hypotensive medication.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has symptoms such as severe snoring, apneic attack, and daytime hypersomnia due to repeated obstruction of the upper respiratory tract during sleep. The mortality rate due to cardiovascular complications in severe OSAS. We reported 5 cases of OSAS among the acute aortic dissection cases we treated. They were 2 cases of DeBakey I (cases 1, 2) and 3 cases of III b (cases 3, 4, 5). Organ ischemia was recognized in 4 among 5 cases of dissection combined with OSAS. There was 1 case of renal ischemia (case 1), 2 cases of limb ischemia (cases 3, 4), 1 case of visceral and spinal ischemia (case 5). Case 4 was III b type dissection with severely compressed true lumen and limb ischemia. The false lumen occluded by combining antihypertensive therapy and continuous positive airway pressure used to OSAS. Case 5 also had a severely compressed true lumen, and visceral ischemia 4 days after the onset. Angiography showed a severly compressed orifice of the true lumen of the celiac artery and superior mesentric artery due to the occluded false lumen. We placed a stent into the orifice of celiac artery transluminally and then patient recovered. There were many dangerous situations such as organ ischemia, and severely compressed true lumen among the cases of dissection combined with OSAS. Marked changes of intrathoracic pressure in apneic attacks may place stress on the thoracic aorta.

We encountered a case of ruptured penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer (PAU) that previously had focal ulceration. A 82-year-old man was followed on a diagnosis of distal arch true aneurysm with a diameter of 4.5cm on CT examination. He was admitted with sudden onset of back pain, but he had experienced no previous symptom. CT scan showed a ruptured penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer, therefore we performed emergency replacement of the thoracic descending aorta. The postoperative course was good. CT scan showed the thoracic descending aorta had focal ulceration with a width of 11mm and depth of 7mm at 6 months, however the width was 11mm and the depth was 11mm 1 month before rupture of the PAU. This suggested progression of the focal ulceration caused the PAU rupture.

Acute aortic dissection is a formidable disease because of complications such as rupture or visceral ischemia. Early diagnosis of these conditions is essential. The patient was a 40-year-old woman with acute type B aortic dissection, suspected to have Marfan syndrome. We first treated her with medical therapy, but 5 days later she suffered from repeated abdominal angina. This was thought to be probably predictive of malperfusion, so we decided to perform an operation. We maintained an elevated blood pressure (about 140mmHg), used heparin and Prostaglandin E₁ for the prevention of angina, until total aortic arch replacement and open stent grafting was performed. She has been doing well since.

A 76-year-old woman who had undergone 5 surgical procedures and chemotherapy for retro-peritoneal liposarcoma was found to have a right ventricular aneurysm by echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and right ventricular cineangiogram. We decided that it was a false aneurysm because of communication with the right ventricle through a small orifice. At operation, aneurysm was not strongly adherent, so we closed the small orifice with a purse-string suture, and covered it with part of the wall of the aneurysm. Subepicardial aneurysm of the right ventricle was diagnosed by operative and pathological findings. The postoperative course was uneventful and she was discharged on the 15th postoperative day.

We present two cases of thoracic aortic aneurysm combined with aberrant right subclavian artery. Case 1 was a 71-year-old man, and case 2 was a 74-year-old man with an aortic arch aneurysm associated with a diverticulum of Kommerell. In both cases, we performed total aortic arch replacement through median sternotomy using cardiopulmonary bypass, systemic hypothermia and selective cerebral perfusion. We reconstructed all 4 arch branches. The aberrant right subclavian artery arose from the distal portion of the aortic arch, distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery. It crossed the midline between the esophagus and spine. To prevent compression of the trachea and esophagus by the right subclavian artery, we reconstructed it by the anterior side of the trachea. The postoperative course was uneventful.

A-23-year-old man, with intellectual disability and history of self-inflicted injuries, presented with chest pain. A 3mm “picked” wound in the left chest was observed on physical examination. Chest computed tomography revealed a needle in the pericardium. Emergency surgery was performed by median sternotomy. At first we could not find the needle because it was completely buried in the heart, but when the posterior wall of the heart was exposed, the head of the needle appeared protruding from the posterior wall. It was removed and the wound of the posterior wall was closed with direct mattress sutures without cardio-pulmonary bypass. On inspection, the needle was 34mm long.