TY - JOUR AU - Risteski, Petar AU - Radwan, Medhat AU - Boshkoski, Gjoko AU - Salem, Razan AU - Iavazzo, Annarita AU - Walther, Thomas AU - Esposito, Giampiero PY - 2020/10/27 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Minimally Invasive Aortic Arch Repair: Technical Considerations and Mid-Term Outcomes JF - The Heart Surgery Forum JA - HSF VL - 23 IS - 6 SE - DO - 10.1532/hsf.3235 UR - https://journal.hsforum.com/index.php/HSF/article/view/3235 SP - E803-E808 AB - <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Background:</strong> Reports of minimal invasive aortic arch surgery are scarce. We reviewed our experience with minimal access aortic arch surgery performed through an upper mini-sternotomy, with emphasis on details of operative technique and early and mid-term outcomes.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Methods:</strong> The medical records of 123 adult patients (mean age 66 ± 12 years), who underwent primary elective minimal access aortic arch surgery in two aortic referral centers, were reviewed. The most common indication was degenerative aortic arch aneurysm in 92 (75%) patients. Standard operative and organ protection techniques used in all patients were upper mini-sternotomy, uninterrupted antegrade cerebral perfusion, and moderate systemic hypothermia (27.4 ± 1°C).</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Results:</strong> Sixty-eight (55%) patients received partial aortic arch replacement; the remaining 55 (45%) patients received total arch replacement, further extended with either a frozen elephant trunk in 43 (35%) patients or a conventional elephant trunk procedure in nine (7%) patients. No conversion to full sternotomy was required. New permanent renal failure occurred in one (0.8%) patient, stroke in two (1.6%), and spinal cord injury in four (3.3%) patients. Early mortality was observed in four (3.3%) patients. At five years, survival was 80 ± 6% and freedom from reoperation was 96 ± 3%.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Minimal invasive aortic arch repair through an upper mini-sternotomy can be safely performed, with early and mid-term outcomes well comparable to series performed through a standard median sternotomy.</span></p> ER -