We report a case of surgical treatment for pseudoaneurysm 19 years after aortic root replacement. The patient was a 57-year-old female who had undergone aortic root replacement (Piehler procedure) in another hospital due to acute Stanford A type aortic dissection in 1988, and was then followed up at another hospital. However, a low density area around the artificial graft was pointed out on computed tomography (CT) in 2001, which increased to 60mm in size by November, 2006. She was then referred to our hospital for a redo operation. Pseudoaneurysm of the anastomosis and mitral regurgitation (MR) was diagnosed by the examination of the CT, angiography, etc., and we performed ascending aorta and aortic arch replacement, and mitral valve replacement (MVR) in April, 2007. A slight hemorrhage were found at the anastomosis of the artificial graft-artificial graft. Deterioration of the artificial graft or deterioration of the suture was suspected as the cause of the slight hemorrhage from the anastomosis a long period after the operation. In this case, loosening of the suture string was revealed, so the latter was more strongly suspected.

A 56-year-old man was admitted to our institution with sudden onset of severe chest pain and ischemia of the lower extremities on February 24, 2007. An enhanced computed tomography scan showed acute Stanford type A aortic dissection. Electrocardiography showed ST segment elevation in leads V_1-4 and a transthoracic echocardiogram revealed antero-septal wall akinesis. The patient was given a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) caused by left main trunk dissection (LMT) due to acute aortic dissection. Coronary angiography (CAG) showed severe stenosis in the LMT with poor distal run-off. For this reason, after we implanted a stent in the left main coronary trunk to maintain coronary blood flow, we performed total aortic arch replacement, coronary artery bypass grafting (SVG-LAD #8), and F-F cross-over bypass. Removal of the implanted stent from the LMT during the operation was simple. Postoperative CAG showed a patent SVG and intact LMT. Because preoperative PCI is still controversial for acute aortic dissection with AMI, either more immediate surgery or preoperative PCI (bridge stent to surgery) in the left main coronary artery is mandatory. Implantation of an LMT stent, as a bridge to surgery, is an effective strategy for acute type A aortic dissection with LMT occlusion before surgical repair.

We report a case of successful surgical treatment for acute aortic dissection in a patient with late pregnancy with Marfan syndrome. The patient was a 32-year-old primipara. She experienced sudden precordial pain and visited on other hospital at 29 weeks' gestation. She was given a diagnosis of acute type A aortic dissection on computed tomography (CT), and was referred to our hospital for surgery. The earliest possible operation was required, but, in view of the risk of massive bleeding following placental separation due to heparin administration for cardiopulmonary bypass, Caesarian section and abdominal total hysterectomy were initially performed, followed 2 days later by the Bentall procedure plus prosthetic graft replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic arch in a two-stage operation. The postoperative course of the mother and infant was uneventful. The treatment strategy for Marfan syndrome complicated by aortic dissection in late pregnancy is very important. We were able to safely perform surgery and perioperative management using a two-stage operation, that is, by performing Caesarian section first, then strictly controlling circulatory dynamics under sedation and artificial ventilation in the ICU, and subsequently performing repair of the heart and aorta after the subsidence of obstetric hemorrhage.

We report a case of a 72-year-old woman, who had an anastomotic pseudoaneurysm in the ascending aorta, successfully treated by endovascular aortic repair with vascular embolic devise and stent-graft. It seemed to be high risk to achieve conventional surgery with extracorporeal circulation, therefore we selected endovascular treatment because she had a bleeding tendency which derived from disseminated intravascular coagulation. Then, we adopted stent-grafting with a vascular embolic device, because the distal side of pseudoaneurysm had too short a landing zone to cover the stent-graft only. The patient well tolerated this procedure and her postoperative course was uneventful. The pseudoaneurysm shrank at 6th months after operation.

A 81-year-old man underwent CABG for angina pectoris. The grafts were all patent in postoperative coronary angiography and he was discharged on postoperative day 24. Pericardial and pleural effusion appeared in 1 month after surgery. After pericardial and pleural effusion drainage, we started steroid therapy. However, his symptoms did not improve. We performed pericardiectomy under the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis. Diastolic dysfunction improved after the surgery, and he was discharged on postoperative day 117.