Intentional occlusion of the left subclavian artery during stent-graft implantation in the thoracic aorta: risk and relevance.

Purpose: To examine the clinical consequences and/or potential need for postinterventional transposition after stent-graft occlusion of the left subclavian artery (LSA).

Methods: The records of 171 consecutive patients (128 men; mean age 60.2+/-13.2 years, range 20-83) undergoing elective stent-graft repair in the thoracic aorta were reviewed to identify intentional endograft coverage of the ostial LSA, as documented by transesophageal echocardiography and/or aortography. Patients were treated for subacute type B dissection, true aneurysm, pseudoaneurysm, or previously operated type A dissection with persistent false lumen flow in the descending aorta. Among the 171 cases, 22 (12.9%) patients were identified with stent-graft occlusion of the LSA.

Results: A systolic blood pressure differential existed between the right (138.4+/-14.0 mmHg) and the left (101.8+/-21.0 mmHg; p<0.05) arms after occlusion of the LSA. No patient showed a malperfusion syndrome during postinterventional hospitalization. During a mean follow-up of 24.0+/-15.8 months, 15 (68.2%) patients remained completely asymptomatic, with no functional deficit or temperature differential between the arms, while 7 patients reported mild symptoms of a subclavian steal syndrome. However, no patient required any secondary surgical intervention.

Conclusions: Stent-graft-induced occlusion of the ostial LSA was tolerated by all patients without chronic functional deficit. In the absence of stenotic vertebral and/or carotid arteries and with a documented intact vertebrobasilar system, prophylactic transposition of the LSA is not required prior to intentional stent-graft occlusion of the LSA.