Descending or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair without intercostal vessel reconstruction using contrast magnetic resonance angiography: report of two cases.

Two high-risk patients underwent a graft replacement for descending thoracic or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms without the reconstruction of any intercostal and lumbar arteries. The first patient was an 81-year-old woman with asthma and renal dysfunction who was diagnosed to have a descending thoracic aortic aneurysm extending from the Th8 to Th12 level. Contrast magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) demonstrated the Adamkiewicz artery to originate from the left second lumbar artery. The second patient was a 59-year-old man with left ventricular dysfunction due to aortic and mitral stenoses who was diagnosed to have a Crawford type IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. Contrast MRA showed the Adamkiewicz artery to originate from the left ninth intercostal artery. In general, the reestablishment of the spinal cord's blood supply, whenever possible, is generally considered to be necessary in such patients to prevent spinal cord injury. However, the reimplantation of intercostal vessels is the most complex aspect of this surgical modality, and therefore, it may cause a substantial increase in the cardiopulmonary bypass time. However, at least in some cases, such as the two cases presented herein, the use of contrast MRA was found to reduce the risk in surgery for descending thoracic or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms by eliminating the need for any intraoperative management of the intercostal and lumbar arteries.