Reoperation for giant false aneurysm of the thoracic aorta: how to reenter the chest?

Background: Giant false or pseudoaneurysm of the aorta is a rare but dreadful complication occurring several months or years after cardiac or aortic surgery. We describe a surgical approach that allowed safe reentry in the chest in five patients, with a mean follow-up of almost seven years.

Methods: From December 1991 to October 1999, five patients aged 34 to 74 years (mean age, 55 +/- 11.

When should the aortic arch be replaced in Marfan patients?

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence, indications, and results of aortic arch replacement in Marfan patients with and without acute dissection.

Methods: Between January 1993 and December 2005, our group performed 76 aortic replacements in 54 Marfan patients (mean age, 38.3 years), of whom 20 had already undergone one or two replacements of the thoracic aorta, and 3 required one late procedure each in other institutions.

Brain protection during surgery of the aortic arch.

Deep hypothermia with circulatory arrest is the usual method of cerebral protection during replacement of the aortic arch. It has the enormous advantage of allowing the surgical repair to be carried out in a complete bloodless field with no aortic cross-clamping. However, this method only gives the surgeon a limited period of time to carry out the aortic repair.