Retrospective Evaluation of Percutaneous Access for TEVAR and EVAR: Time to Make it the Standard Approach?

 To evaluate the safety of percutaneous endovascular aortic repair and the relationship of access site characteristics to complications  All patients undergoing percutaneous TEVAR, EVAR and FEVAR procedures from January 2010 to May 2016 were retrospectively analysed for incidence of complications and their relationship to various access site characteristics like access artery size, degree of vessel calcification, skin to artery distance and sheath to artery ratio. Hemostasis occurring within 15 min after suture closure with or without manual compression was defined as primary hemostasis.  92 patients with 142 femoral access sites were included in the study.

Cardiac surgery in nonagenarians: pushing the boundary one further decade.

With increasing age of the general population, the necessity for cardiac surgery in the collective of patients aged 90 and older has been increasing. To aid in the choice of adequate therapy we investigated our experience for the group of nonagenarians undergoing surgical interventions. From 6/2000 to 9/2007, 17 patients aged 90 and older underwent open-heart surgery at our institution.

Frozen elephant trunk procedure in a dextropositioned arch and descending aorta.

Purpose: To describe the use of a hybrid frozen elephant trunk technique to treat a patient suffering from a multisegmentally diseased, dextropositioned aortic arch and right descending aorta.

Technique: The technique is illustrated in a 58-year-old woman who was diagnosed with chronic type A aortic dissection in a right aortic arch and descending aorta; a lusoric left subclavian artery passed behind the esophagus. Aneurysmal dilatation of the arch and descending aorta required treatment.

Comparison of operative techniques in acute type A aortic dissection performing the distal anastomosis.

Objective: The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate early and midterm clinical outcomes of two surgical techniques: open anastomosis in deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) compared to anastomosis with clamped aorta while continuing on extracorporeal circulation (CECC).

Methods: Between November 1997 and February 2002, 67 patients were operated for acute type A aortic dissection. Records of 35 patients with isolated replacement of the ascending aorta without intervention on the aortic arch were retrospectively reviewed.