UNASSIGNED: Aortic root involvement during acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) may depend on ascending aortic wall degeneration. Surgical decision-making for extended resection of the aortic root is clinically made without histopathology. The aim of the study was to investigate whether the degree of degeneration of the ascending aortic wall found in patients with ATAAD is associated with the aortic root involvement.
UNASSIGNED: Collectively, 141 consecutive patients undergoing ATAAD surgery at Tampere University Heart Hospital were investigated. The ascending aortic wall resected in surgery was processed for 11 different variables that describe medial and adventitial degeneration. In addition, atherosclerosis and inflammation were separately evaluated. Patients undergoing aortic root replacement were compared with those with supracoronary reconstruction of the ascending aorta with/without aortic valve surgery (root-sparing surgery) during a mean 4.9-year follow-up.
UNASSIGNED: Aortic root replacement together with the ascending aortic replacement was performed in 39% of the patients (n=55). The mean age for all patients was 65 years [standard deviation (SD 13)]. Many patients with aortic root replacement had moderate to severe aortic valve regurgitation (85.5%). Most of the patients with aortic root-sparing surgery included a supracoronary tube prosthesis (89.5%), while nine patients also had aortic valve replacement. The degree of mucoid extracellular matrix accumulation was more prominent in patients with aortic root replacement compared to patients with root-sparing surgery (2.1 SD 0.4 vs. 1.9 SD 0.4, P=0.04, respectively). During follow-up, there were 52 deaths among patients (log rank P=0.79).
UNASSIGNED: Histopathology of the ascending aorta during ATAAD reveals distinctive aortic wall degeneration in patients with aortic root involvement vs. not. The degree of mucoid extracellular matrix accumulation assessed postoperatively is associated with the choice of surgical procedure in many patients.

UNASSIGNED: While surgery is almost always indicated for acute type A aortic dissections (ATAADs), the extent of surgery is often debated, with some surgeons preferring a conservative option and others preferring a more radical option This study aims to assess the outcome after surgery for ATAAD and the prognostic impact of surgical strategy (with vs. without aortic arch replacement).
UNASSIGNED: Data was gathered between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2021 and retrospectively analyzed with multivariable logistic and Cox regression to ascertain risk factors and survival respectively.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 601 patients underwent type A aortic dissection repair across the recruiting centers with an operative mortality of 24.3% (146 patients) which was considerably linked with the clinical condition at presentation. In-hospital mortality was 23.1% for ascending and root replacement alone vs. 28.7% for arch involvement. Overall survival was 73.3% after the first year, 68.2% at 5 years, and 53.5% at 10 years. The median follow-up period was 2.5 years [interquartile range (IQR), 6.6 years]. Aortic arch replacements were more often carried out in younger patients and those without adverse clinical conditions, although outcomes for patients who underwent either surgical option were comparable throughout apart from a higher rate of cerebrovascular complications in the arch group (7.6% vs. 21.9%) (P=0.01).
UNASSIGNED: Surgery for ATAAD still confers a relatively high mortality. In our study, there was a higher stroke rate associated with patients who underwent arch replacements at the time of dissection despite them being younger. The choice of repair with or without arch replacement should be individualized to the patient and the severity of clinical status presentation.

UNASSIGNED: Recent reports on sex differences in long-term outcomes after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) are conflicting. We aimed to aggregate updated data on long-term survival and reoperation stratified by sex.
UNASSIGNED: A literature search was conducted using Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Central. Studies reporting sex-stratified long-term survival and/or reoperation following surgery for ATAAD between January 1, 2000, to March 15, 2023 were included. Preoperative characteristics, intraoperative variables, and early perioperative outcomes were meta-analyzed using a random effects model and pooled risk ratio (RR) with men as the reference group. Individual patient-level data for long-term outcomes was reconstructed to generate sex-specific pooled Kaplan-Meier curves to assess long-term survival and freedom from reoperation.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 15 studies with 7,608 male and 3,989 female patients were included in this analysis. Female patients were older, had higher rates of hypertension, and had less previous cardiac surgery. Intraoperatively, women received less extensive repairs with lower rates of aortic valve replacement and total arch replacement, and higher rates of hemiarch replacement. There were no sex differences for in-hospital/30-day mortality [risk ratio (RR), 1.18; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.96, 1.45; P=0.12], stroke (RR, 1.07; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.28; P=0.46), and early reoperation (RR, 0.90; 95% CI: 0.75, 1.09; P=0.28). Female patients had lower long-term survival overall (P<0.001) and amongst survivors at 1-year (P=0.014). Overall survival at 5-year was 82.4% in men and 78.1% in women, and at 10-year was 68.1% for men and 63.4% in women. Male patients had higher rates of long-term reoperation (P<0.001). Freedom for reoperation at 5-year was 88.4% in men vs. 93.1% in women.
UNASSIGNED: Though perioperative early outcomes have equalized between the sexes following surgery for ATAAD, differences remain in long-term survival and reoperation.

UNASSIGNED: Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is associated with high mortality. Previous studies found that maintaining a high level of oxygen delivery (DO2) could decrease the postoperative mortality, but the minimum threshold of DO2 remained unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between maintaining intraoperative DO2 ≥280 mL/(min·m2) and the 90-day postoperative mortality of ATAAD patients.
UNASSIGNED: The clinical data of 178 ATAAD patients who underwent Sun\'s procedure in our center from January 2018 to July 2022 were retrospectively analyzed in the present cohort study. The included patients were divided into hypoxic group [DO2 <280 mL/(min·m2)] and normoxic group [DO2 ≥280 mL/(min·m2)]. The primary endpoint was the 90-day all-cause mortality, and the secondary endpoints were postoperative mechanical ventilation time, the application of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), brain complications, and other postoperative complications.
UNASSIGNED: Among all the patients, a total of 23 patients died 90 days postoperatively. Compared with the hypoxic group, blood flow, hematocrit (HCT), DO2, and DO2/VO2 ratio during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were significantly higher, while the need for CRRT and the 90-day mortality were significantly lower in the normoxic group. The median follow-up time was 4 months. Kaplan-Meier curve indicated that the survival rate of ATAAD patients in the normoxic group was significantly higher. Univariate cox regression analysis demonstrated that 90-day mortality was reduced by 72.1% in the normoxic group.
UNASSIGNED: Maintaining DO2 ≥280 mL/(min·m2) during CPB by increasing CPB flow and HCT level is associated with decreased 90-day mortality of ATAAD patients.

UNASSIGNED: Surgical strategies in older adult patients with acute type A aortic dissection (aTAAD) are crucial. We investigated the safety and efficiency of open limited surgery for septuagenarian and octogenarian patients with aTAAD.
UNASSIGNED: Between 2011 and 2019, 1,092 patients diagnosed with aTAAD underwent open surgery in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups based on age: <70 years (n=956) and ≥70 years (n=136). Preoperative baseline characteristics, operative data, and postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups. To investigate the safety and efficiency of the surgical approach for those aged ≥70 years, we separated these patients into two groups: (I) those who underwent root-sparing surgery and less-invasive arch surgery (Limited group; n=86); and (II) all others (Extensive group; n=50).
UNASSIGNED: Mortality was significantly higher in those aged ≥70 years than in those <70 years (20.6% vs. 13.2%; P=0.000), with age being a strong risk factor for postoperative mortality [odds ratio (OR) 1.619; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.015-2.582; P=0.043]. Patients aged ≥70 years tended to receive less invasive surgery, and the rates of root replacement and arch replacement were lower. Patients in the limited surgery group had a higher rate of pericardial tamponade, and the durations of surgery, hypothermic circulation arrest, cardiopulmonary bypass, and aortic clamp were all significantly shorter than in the extensive group. Mortality and postoperative complications were also lower in the limited surgery group.
UNASSIGNED: Although older age was a risk factor for open surgery for aTAAD, limited surgical techniques could lower the mortality and morbidity regardless of the need for extensive surgery.

UNASSIGNED: Total arch replacement with the frozen elephant trunk (TAR + FET) technique is a challenging approach for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). Severe acute kidney injury (AKI) adversely affects the prognosis of hospitalized patients. The study aims to evaluate the incidence and risk factors of severe AKI.
UNASSIGNED: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of the records of ATAAD patients following TAR + FET, admitted between January 2013 and December 2018. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify predictors of severe postoperative AKI. Severe postoperative AKI was defined using the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria.
UNASSIGNED: The whole in-hospital mortality rate was 4.3%. Among 670 patients, major adverse outcomes were present in 169 patients (25.2%), 67 patients (10.0%) required renal replacement therapy (RRT), and 80 (11.9%) developed severe postoperative AKI. In-hospital mortality in the severe AKI group (13.8%) was 4.5 times higher than in the non-severe AKI group (3.1%). Compared with the non-severe AKI patients, the severe AKI patients had a higher incidence of major adverse outcomes (100% vs. 15.1%, P<0.001) and more frequent use of RRT (83.8% vs. 0.0%, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that severe postoperative AKI was predicted by advanced age [odds ratio (OR) =1.029; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.002-1.056; P=0.032], lower limb symptoms (OR =4.384; 95% CI: 2.240-8.582; P<0.001), coronary artery involvement (OR =2.478; 95% CI: 1.432-4.288; P=0.001), preoperative postoperative serum creatinine (SCr) (OR =1.008; 95% CI: 1.003-1.013; P=0.001), and prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (OR =1.011; 95% CI: 1.006-1.015; P<0.001).
UNASSIGNED: There was a high incidence of severe AKI and high in-hospital mortality after TAR + FET in ATAAD patients. The risk factors for severe AKI in ATAAD patients undergoing TAR + FET were determined to help identify the high-risk patients and make rational treatment decisions.

BACKGROUND: Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a life-threatening medical emergency that requires urgent surgical intervention. The mainstay surgical approach to treating ATAAD with aortic arch involvement is total arch replacement (TAR). The frozen elephant trunk (FET) procedure involves TAR with hybrid endovascular stenting of the DTA in a single step using a hybrid prosthesis (HP). The prime example of a FET HP is Thoraflex Hybrid Prosthesis (THP). Another treatment option is the novel Ascyrus Medical Dissection Stent (AMDS) that is deployed as a non-covered stent along with the aortic arch as an adjunct to prior hemi-arch replacement.
OBJECTIVE: This comparative review highlights the clinical applications and outcomes of THP and AMDS in the treatment of ATAAD and discusses the main differences between both approaches.
METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using multiple electronic databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Ovid, Scopus and Embase.
RESULTS: TAR with FET can be considered the superior approach to managing ATAAD with arch involvement relative to AMDS with hemi-arch replacement due to more optimal clinical outcomes. Upon comprehensively searching the literature, early mortality was substantially lower with FET ranging from 0-11% compared to 12.5-18.7% using AMDS, with more favourable long-term survival. The incidence of kidney injury and new stroke post-FET ranged from 3-20% and 5-16%, and 11-37.5% and 0-18.8% following AMDS implantation. However, evidence supporting the use of AMDS is extremely limited. Meanwhile, TAR with FET is a well-established and well-described procedure for ATAAD repair.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite the novel nature of AMDS, its clinical safety and effectiveness are yet to be proven. In conclusion, THP remains the best evidenced-based approach to treat ATAAD in this era.

BACKGROUND: Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a life-threatening medical condition requiring urgent surgical attention. It is estimated that 50% of ATAAD die within 24 h of onset, with the mortality rate is increasing by 1%-2% every additional hour without prompt intervention. A variety of ATAAD surgical repair techniques exist which has sparked controversy within the literature, with the main two strategies being proximal aortic replacement (PAR) and total arch replacement (TAR). Nevertheless, the question of which of these two strategies if the more optimal is still debatable.
OBJECTIVE: This commentary aims to discuss the recent study by Sa and colleagues which presents a pooled analysis of Kaplan-Meier-derived individual patient data from studies with follow-up comparing aggressive (TAR) and conservative (PAR) approaches to manage ATAAD patients.
METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed using multiple electronic databases including PubMed, Ovid, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Scopus to collate the relevant research evidence.
RESULTS: The more aggressive TAR approach for treating ATAAD seems to yield more favorable results including more optimal long-term survival as well as a lower need for reoperation. The frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique can be considered the mainstay TAR technique.
CONCLUSIONS: It is valid to conclude that TAR with FET is the superior strategy for managing ATAAD patients.

UNASSIGNED: The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between preoperative laboratory examination, clinical imaging data, and postoperative death of patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) and to establish a prediction model of hospital death risk after the operation.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 224 cases of acute Standford A aortic dissection were treated by total arch replacement using a tetrafurcate graft with stented elephant trunk implantation in Tianjin Chest Hospital. Based on preoperative laboratory examination and clinical imaging data of patients with ATAAD, the independent risk factors of postoperative hospital death were obtained using logistic analysis, and a risk prediction model of postoperative hospital death was developed.
UNASSIGNED: Independent risk factors of postoperative death in patients with ATAAD were: body mass index (BMI), preoperative neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), mean platelet volume (MPV), creatinine (Cr), D-dimer, high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-CTnT), apolipoprotein A1, left subclavian artery involvement, and iliac artery involvement. The regression equation of postoperative death risk was: logitP1 = -9.584 + 1.060 × NLR + 1.586 × MPV + 1.009 × Cr + 1.067 × D-dimer + 2.023 × hs-CTnT; the regression equation of postoperative death risk was: logitP2 = -3.296 + 3.242 × left subclavian artery involved + 4.564 × iliac artery involved; the regression equation of postoperative death risk was: logitP3 = -12.864 + 1.149 × BMI + 4.731 × left subclavian artery involved + 4.150 × iliac artery involved + 1.064 × NLR + 1.011 × Cr + 1.084 × D-dimer + 2.242 × hs-CTnT + 3.233 × apolipoprotein A1.
UNASSIGNED: BMI, NLR, MPV, Cr, D-dimer, hs-CTnT, apolipoprotein A1, left subclavian artery involvement and iliac artery involvement can affect the hospital mortality rate of aortic dissection undergoing Sun\'s operation to varying degrees, which may be helpful to guide the design of the perioperative treatment strategy.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate independent risk factors of postoperative hypoxemia in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD).
METHODS: A single-center retrospective study was conducted with enrolled 75 ATAAD patients following surgery, which were stratified into three groups on the basis of the postoperative PaO2/FiO2 ratio: severe hypoxemia group (PaO2/FiO2 ratio ≤100 mmHg); moderate hypoxemia group (100 mmHg < PaO2/FiO2 ratio ≤200 mmHg); and non-hypoxemia group (PaO2/FiO2 ratio >200 mmHg). The patient\'s demography, perioperative laboratory results, operative details, clinical outcomes were collected and analyzed. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed and logistic regression model was established.
RESULTS: The incidence of postoperative severe hypoxemia and hypoxemia was 32% and 52%, respectively. Among the three groups, severe hypoxemia group exhibited a high significance of body mass index (BMI) and preoperative white blood cell (WBC) and main distribution of hypertension; meanwhile, Marfan syndrome was mainly distributed in non-hypoxemia group. On intensive care unit (ICU) admission, severe hypoxemia group exhibited a high significance of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score of postoperative patients, and more patients would present shock. Moreover, severe hypoxemia group patients had a higher incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) and usage of renal replacement therapy, longer length of stay (LOS) of ICU, and shorter 28 days ventilator-free days (VFDs).
CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of postoperative hypoxemia was high in ATAAD patients owing to comprehensive high-risk factors. Besides, postoperative complications negatively impacted their clinical outcomes.