Acute type A aortic dissection repair with mild-to-moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest and selective cerebral perfusion

Aim. The purpose of this study was to evaluate surgical results of aortic repair with antegrade selective cerebral perfusion (ASCP) and mild-to-moderate hypothermia (MH) from 28 to 31 degrees C comparing with previous series with hypothermia from 20 degrees C to 27 degrees C. Methods. Between 2000 and 2011, 109 consecutive patients underwent surgical repair for. acute type A aortic dissection with circulatory arrest and ASCP and MH in our institution. Mean patient age was 67 11 years old. Total arch replacement was performed in 85 patients (78%). Thirty (27%) patients had shock status preoperatively. The patients were divided into two different subsets, which is group A (circulatory arrest at less than 27.9 degrees C, N.=70), and group B (at more than 28 degrees C, N.=39). Results. The mean extra-corporeal circulation time was 185 47 minutes in group A and 155 38 minutes in group B (P<0.001). The hospital mortality was 11.4% in group A and 10.3% in group B (P>0.05). Permanent neurological deficit occurred in 10 patients (14.3%) in group A, and in 5 (12.8%) in group B (P>0.05). Two (2.8%) paraplegia occurred in group A, and none in group B (P>0.05). The incidence of renal failure requiring hemodialysis was 17.1% in group A and 7.7% in group B, (P>0.05). Respiratory failure after surgery occurred in 27.1% of patients in group A, and 5.1% in group B (P=0.005). Conclusion. Circulatory arrest at more than 28 C offered sufficient cerebral and distal organ protection for acute type A aortic dissection.