The Distance From the Primary Intimal Tear to the Left Subclavian Artery Predicts Thoracic Aortic Enlargement After Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair of Type B Aortic Dissection: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between the distance from the primary intimal tear (PIT) to the left subclavian artery (LSA) (PIT-LSA distance) and the risk of aortic enlargement after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. A total of 228 patients were reviewed from the database of the Registry Of type B aortic dissection with the Utility of STent graft (ROBUST) study performed from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2016. Of them, 196 patients were eligible for analysis. The PIT-LSA distance was defined as the length from the distal edge of the LSA orifice to the proximal edge of the PIT along the centerline of the true lumen. According to the border between zone 3 and zone 4 of the Ishimaru classification, patients were divided into group A (n = 117, PIT-LSA distance ≤ 2 cm) and group B (n = 79, PIT-LSA distance > 2 cm). Thoracic aortic enlargement (TAE) was defined as a thoracic aortic volume increase of ≥20%. Multivariate Cox regression was used to estimate the association between the PIT-LSA distance and risk of TAE after TEVAR.

Results: The mean age was 52.3 ± 11.6 years, and 88.8% of patients were male. There were no significant differences between groups in demographic and baseline characteristics. The PIT-LSA distance was 1.1 cm (range, -1.6 to 2.0 cm) in group A, and 2.9 cm (range, 2.1-12.6 cm) in group B. TAE occurred in 27 patients in group A, and 6 in group B. The mean follow-up was 12.4 months (range, 0.10-83.1 months) in group A, and 12.63 months (range, 0.10-82.77 months) in group B. The cumulative 12- and 24-month rates of freedom from TAE were 79.0% and 71.3% in group A, versus 92.5% and 92.5% in group B, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the PIT-LSA distance was an independent predictor of TAE after TEVAR (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.48-0.90; p = 0.009).

Conclusion: Patients with a more proximal PIT location have a higher incidence of thoracic aortic enlargement after TEVAR. The location of the PIT in relation to the LSA can be used to identify patients who need closed surveillance after TEVAR or early preemptive intervention.