Objective To summarize our experience and the early and midterm outcomes of stented elephant trunk procedure for right-sided aortic arch (RAA) with Kommerell's diverticulum (KD). Methods From April 2013 to July 2020, patients with RAA and KD who underwent stented elephant trunk procedure at our center were collected. Surgery was performed under moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest combined with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion via median sternotomy. Results A total of 8 patients were included, including 7 males and 1 female with a mean age of 51.88±9.61 years. All patients had an aneurysmal KD and aberrant left subclavian artery. Preoperative comorbidities included acute Stanford type B aortic dissection in 1 patient, aortic arch pseudoaneurysm in 1 patient, acute type B intramural hematoma in 2 patients, and coronary artery disease in 1 patient. Concomitant procedures included reconstruction of the left subclavian artery in all patients and coronary artery bypass grafting in 1 patient. The mean time of operation, cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic cross-clamping, and selective cerebral perfusion was 6.25±1.16 h, 157.75±40.07 min, 77.75±33.10 min, and 28.50±5.55 min, respectively. No intraoperative death occurred. There was 1 in-hospital death. Follow-up was completed in all patients with a mean period of 3.58±2.08 years. No late death occurred. A persistent anastomotic leak of the proximal arch was detected in 1 patient, but reintervention was not performed because neither aortic dilatation nor symptoms of tracheal and esophageal compression were observed during the follow-up. The remaining 6 patients showed positive aortic remodeling with complete thrombosis of the aneurysmal KD, and neither aortic event nor tracheal and esophageal compression occurred. Conclusion Stented elephant trunk procedure is a safe and feasible technique for selected patients with RAA and KD, which can achieve favorable early and midterm outcomes.

At present,the hierarchical classification of the rule of law can not fully and reasonably display the rule of law system.In this paper,a new hierarchical classification method is proposed to construct a new system of Chinese medical treatment law.The mainstream of TCM treatment is syndrome differentiation and treatment,which constitutes the components of syndrome(such as disease state,morbid state,etc.)and is the target of TCM treatment based on syndrome differentiation.Therefore,the target of construction component is used as a criterion for classification.According to the range of the target,the therapy was divided into two layers:large therapy and specific therapy.Based on the classification of targets,the therapeutic methods were divided into four categories:the therapeutic methods for coping with diseases,the therapeutic methods for coping with morbid conditions,the therapeutic methods for coping with pathogenic diseases,and the therapeutic methods for coping with disease conditions.

Objective:To investigate the role of oxidative stress and silent information regulator 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) in cartilage injury in Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) by evaluating the level of oxidative stress and the effect of oxidative injury on SIRT1 expression in patients with KBD.Methods:In May 2017, Twenty patients with KBD were selected from Guide County of Qinghai Province as the KBD group, and 40 healthy subjects were selected as the control group, 5 ml elbow venous blood was collected, centrifuged, and the upper plasma was retained. The glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and SIRT1 mRNA level was determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Meanwhile, 150 μmol/L tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP) was selected to damage chondrocytes; and different concentrations of sodium selenite (Na 2SeO 3) were used to intervene in chondrocytes to detect cell viability, and appropriate concentration of Na 2SeO 3 was selected for pre protection. Total RNA and DNA of chondrocytes were extracted. The mRNA levels of SIRT1, DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), and the DNA methylation level in the SIRT1 promoter region were determined by RT-qPCR. At the same time, Hoechst 33342 staining was used to detect chondrocyte apoptosis. Results:The plasma GPX activity [(35.48 ± 8.82) U/g·Hb] in KBD group was lower than that in control group [(40.43 ± 6.68) U/g·Hb, t = - 2.43, P = 0.018], and the ROS level [(577.10 ± 96.92) U/ml] was higher than that in control group [(526.44 ± 62.63) U/ml, t = 2.13, P = 0.043]. GPX activity was positively correlated with SIRT1 mRNA level ( r s = 0.44, P = 0.005), while ROS level was negatively correlated with SIRT1 mRNA level ( r s = - 0.39, P = 0.006). After 48 hours of treatment with 150 μmol/L tBHP (tBHP injury group), the survival rate of chondrocytes decreased to (55.27 ± 2.96)%; and the survival rate of chondrocytes pre-protected with 0.10 μg/ml Na 2SeO 3 (selenium protection group) was significantly higher than that of tBHP injury group ( P < 0.05). Compared with control group, the SIRT1 mRNA level of chondrocytes in tBHP injury group was significantly decreased; while the DNA methylation level in the SIRT1 promoter region, DNMT1 mRNA level and cell apoptosis rate were significantly increased ( P < 0.05). Compared with tBHP injury group, the selenium protection group had higher levels of SIRT1 mRNA in chondrocytes, lower levels of DNA methylation in the SIRT1 promoter region, DNMT1 mRNA, and cell apoptosis rate ( P < 0.05). The apoptosis rate was negatively correlated with SIRT1 mRNA level ( r s = - 0.78, P = 0.004), and positively correlated with the DNA methylation level in the SIRT1 promoter region ( r s = 0.76, P = 0.006). Conclusions:KBD patients have increased levels of oxidative stress, which may be associated with low expression of SIRT1. Oxidative injury may down-regulate SIRT1 expression and promote chondrocytes apoptosis by catalyzing DNA methylation in the SIRT1 promoter region.

The initial repair of acute aortic dissection via open surgery and endovascular procedures is only a partial treatment. Persistent distal tears and residual dissections continue to affect the long-term prognosis of patients. An ideal treatment strategy should aim to repair the entire aortic pathology using minimally invasive, simple, safe, and effective methods. This review discusses the impact of residual dissection on patient prognosis, current therapeutic strategies, and future development trends, providing a reference for optimizing treatment strategies for residual aortic dissection.

Objective:To summarize and analyze the early clinical outcomes of aortic endovascular remodeling device (AERD) for single-stage complete repair of acute aortic dissection.Methods:A total of 19 patients with acute aortic dissection who underwent proximal aortic dissection repair combined with distal AERD implantation at the Center for Aortic Surgery of Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University between May 2023 and October 2023, of whom 6 had type A aortic dissection and 13 had type B aortic dissection, were retrospectively analyzed. One-month postoperative follow-up and aortic CTA were completed to compare pre- and postoperative abdominal branch outcomes and aortic wall remodeling.Results:The success rate of AERD implantation in this patient cohort was 100%, and no complications such as paraplegia or visceral ischemia were observed during the perioperative and postoperative follow-up periods. All abdominal branches were patent postoperatively, and 15 branches had preoperative " high-risk" subtype malperfusion, 14 of which improved postoperatively. All patients showed significant increase of the true lumen volume compared with the preoperative one, and 89.5% (17/19) had a postoperative true lumen/overall volume ratio of more than 70%.Conclusion:The single-stage complete repair of proximal aortic dissection repair combined with distal AERD implantation is simple, safe and effective, associated with satisfactory early outcomes.

Objective:This study aims to summarize the pathological anatomy characteristics of residual aortic dissection (RAD) in patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD) during the perioperative period by measuring and analyzing the preoperative and postoperative 60-day computed tomography angiography (CTA) images of the aorta, with the intention of guiding further clinical treatment.Methods:A retrospective cohort study design was adopted. A total of 224 patients hospitalized with acute aortic dissection from December 2021 to October 2022 at a single center were included according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and divided into two groups based on Stanford classification. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) images of the aorta during the perioperative period (preoperative or postoperative 60 days) were collected, and relevant indicators were measured to describe the pathological anatomy characteristics of residual aortic dissection.Results:Among the measured range, there were 4 patients (1.8%) without distal tears, with a total of 648 identified distal tears. The numbers of tears in the A, B, and C segments were 211 (32.6%), 203 (31.3%), and 234 (36.1%), respectively. The average numbers of tears in the A, B, and C segments were 0.9±1.1, 0.9±0.9, and 1.0±1.2 per person, respectively. The corresponding average tear areas were(34.9±46.7)mm 2, (29.0±30.5)mm 2, and(18.6±23.9)mm 2, respectively. The average distances from tears to the upper and lower edges of the celiac trunk were(36.8±33.2)mm and(2.3±3.8)mm, respectively; to the upper and lower edges of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) were(2.3±4.1 )mm and(1.2±2.6) mm, respectively; to the upper and lower edges of the left renal artery were(0.1±0.6) mm and(38.5±24.4) mm, respectively; and to the upper and lower edges of the right renal artery were(0.7±2.6) mm and(8.1±17.3) mm, respectively. True lumen blood supply for the celiac trunk was observed in 151 cases (67.4%); dual luminal supply in 49 cases (21.9%); and false lumen supply in 24 cases (10.7%). True lumen blood supply for the SMA was observed in 187 cases (83.5%); dual luminal supply in 32 cases (14.3%); and false lumen supply in 5 cases (2.2%). True lumen blood supply for the left renal artery was observed in 150 cases (67.0%); dual luminal supply in 27 cases (12.1%); and false lumen supply in 47 cases (21.0%). True lumen blood supply for the right renal artery was observed in 148 cases (66.1%); dual luminal supply in 30 cases (13.4%); and false lumen supply in 46 cases (20.5%). True lumen blood supply for both renal arteries was observed in 83 cases (37.1%); dual luminal supply in 4 cases (1.8%); and false lumen supply in 1 case (0.5%). Conclusion:The results of this study suggest that the average number of distal tears per person in patients with AAD is 2.9±1.9, with only 1.8% of patients having no distal tears. The average tear areas in the A, B, and C segments are(34.9±46.7) mm 2, (29.0±30.5) mm 2, and (18.6±23.9) mm 2, respectively. 61.2% of patients have tears in the abdominal aortic branch segment, and the tears are located at the same level as the abdominal aortic branches. Among the branches of the abdominal aorta, the renal arteries are most commonly affected by dissection, while the SMA is least affected. This study elucidates the anatomical basis for the limitations of existing repair methods and provides a theoretical basis for the design of subsequent repair techniques.

Objective:To summarize our experience and outcomes of surgical repair of type Ⅱ right-sided aortic arch(RAA) with Kommerell's diverticulum(KD).Methods:From May 2010 to August 2020, a total of 13 patients with type Ⅱ RAA and KD underwent surgery at our center. Mean age was(50.46±10.31) years, 10 were male, and 3 were female. All patients had an aneurysmal KD and aberrant left subclavian artery(ALSA). Preoperative comorbidities included type B aortic dissection in 1 case, aortic arch pseudoaneurysm in 2 cases, and type B intramural hematoma in 2 cases, respectively. Eight(61.5%) patients underwent stented elephant trunk procedures under moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest combined with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion via median sternotomy, and all of them had ALSA reconstruction. Five(38.5%) patients underwent distal arch and descending thoracic aortic replacement through a right posterolateral thoracotomy, the ALSA was reconstructed or ligated in 1 each, and ALSA embolization was performed before surgery in the other 3 cases.Results:No operation deaths occurred. Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury occurred in 2 cases. There was 1(7.69%) in-hospital death. Follow-up was complete in 100 % at mean(5.28±3.84) years. No late death occurred. A persistent anastomotic leak of the proximal arch was detected in a patient who underwent stented elephant trunk procedure, but no aortic dilatation or tracheal and esophageal compression was observed during follow-up. Meanwhile, aortic events, limb ischemia, or symptoms of tracheal and esophageal compression were not observed in the remaining 11 patients.Conclusion:Surgical repair of type Ⅱ RAA with KD can achieve favorable early and midterm outcomes. Surgical strategies should be chosen based on the anatomy of the aorta and whether it is combined with compression symptoms.

Objective:To summarize the clinical data of Sun's procedure(total aortic arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk technique) in the treatment of complex aortic arch disease after previous cardiac surgery.Methods:From January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020, a total of 55 patients underwent resternotomy Sun's procedure in the Aortic Surgery Center of Beijing Anzhen Hospital, including 41 males and 14 females, with a mean age of(45.4±12.7) years old, were retrospectively analyzed. The indications of primary cardiac surgery included type A aortic dissection, aortic root or ascending aortic aneurysm, heart valve surgery, and coronary heart disease. Indications for reoperation included residual aortic dissection larger than 55 mm in diameter, aortic aneurysm dilation, new type A aortic dissection, anastomotic leakage with symptoms, and pseudoaneurysm. All the operations were performed under general anesthesia and median resternotomy, total aortic arch replacement with the stented elephant trunk implantation and were performed by anterograde unilateral or bilateral cerebral perfusion.Results:There was no intraoperative death, and the postoperative mortality was 9.1%(5/55). The causes of death were 2 cases of low cardiac output, 1 case of respiratory failure, 1 case of cerebral complications, and 1 case of gastrointestinal bleeding. Except death, there were 2 cases of postoperative cerebral complications(2/50, 4%), 5 cases of spinal cord injury(transient paraplegia)(5/50, 10%), the median duration of ventilator use was 17 hours(14-42 h). Other postoperative complications included respiratory insufficiency requiring ventilatory support longer than 48 hours(8/50, 16%), renal insufficiency requiring temporary dialysis(2/50, 4%). The follow-up time was(25.9±11.2) months(10-47 months), during which 1 case died due to cerebral complication, 4 cases underwent total thoracoabdominal aorta replacement, and 1 case underwent anastomotic leakage repair.Conclusion:It is safe and effec to perform Sun's procedure(total aortic arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk technique) in the treatment of complex arch disease after previous cardiac surgery.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the gender differences in the clinical characteristics and perioperative outcomes of patients with type A aortic dissection in our institution.Methods:From January 2019 to January 2020, total 405 patients underwent surgical treatment for type A aortic dissection at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, including extensive aortic repair (total aortic arch replacement combined with stenting elephant trunk implantation) and limited aortic repair. In the entire cohort, male 295 cases, female 110 cases. All measures in this study were expressed as ± s or median(quartiles) and analyzed by Student t test for variables or non- parametric tests; count data were expressed as frequencies and percentages and analyzed by χ2 test and Fisher exact probability test. Independent risk factors were analyzed by logistic multivariate regression. Results:Females were older than males[(53.3 ± 12.4)years old vs. (47.1 ± 11.0)years old, P<0.001] and had significantly higher proportion of diabetes(9.1% vs. 4.1%, P=0.047) and previous cerebrovascular disease (11.8% vs. 5.8%, P=0.038). Females had a lower proportion of total aortic arch replacement combined with elephant trunk implantation (64.5% vs. 82.7%, P<0.001), while aortic cross-clamp time[168.0(144.8, 201.5) minutes vs. 190.0 (163.0, 217.0) minutes, P<0.001] and CPB time[99.0 (79.8, 118.0) min vs. 107.0 (91.0, 126.0) min, P=0.006] were significantly shorter than males. Females had significantly higher rates of pulmonary infection (14.5% vs. 5.8%, P=0.004) and stroke than males (15.5% vs. 8.1%, P=0.030). The difference in the proportion of postoperative deaths between female and male TAAD patients was not statistically significant (3.6% vs. 7.8%). Logistics multivariable regression analysis found that female was an independent risk factor for postoperative stroke ( OR=2.574, 95% CI: 1.198-5.531, P=0.015) and pulmonary infection ( OR=2.610, 95% CI: 1.180-5.772, P=0.018). Conclusion:Gender did not affect mortality after TAAD repair significantly, but females increased the risk of stroke and pulmonary infection after TAAD surgery.

The end of the COVID-19 infection peak in 2022 prompts a backlog of cardiovascular surgical patients to gradually return to the hospital, resulting in a surge in cardiovascular surgeries. However, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the clinical practice of cardiovascular surgery faces many problems. Therefore, organized by Beijing Anzhen Hospital, experts in cardiovascular surgery and related fields have formulated hospital expert experience on perioperative treatment principles of cardiovascular surgery for patients infected with COVID-19. This article summarizes the clinical decision-making of patients requiring cardiovascular surgery after COVID-19 infection, and advises on the corresponding recommendations according to the existing evidence-based medical evidence as well as the actual clinical practice experience of relevant experts. The main content of the article includes special requirements for cardiovascular surgical treatment indications in patients with COVID-19 infection, selection of surgical timing, special requirements of preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative management, etc., which aims to provide COVID-19-infected patients with guidance on rational decision-making when receiving cardiovascular surgery.