Surgical treatment for graft stenosis after repair of an interrupted aortic arch: Report of two cases

We report herein two cases of patients who underwent successful reoperation for graft stenosis after repair of an interrupted aortic arch (IAA). The first patient was a 10-year-old girl who suffered from upper limb hypertension 9 years after her initial operation. Cardiac catheterization revealed a pressure gradient of 55mmHg across the repaired arch. At reoperation, a left subclavian turndown anastomosis was performed, following which the hypertension resolved and a cardiac catheterization done 5 years later demonstrated sufficient growth of the restored arch with no significant gradient. The second patient was a 17-year-old boy who suffered from general fatigue and intermittent hypertension 12 years after his initial operation. Cardiac catheterization revealed a gradient of 60mmHg across the repaired arch. He underwent an extraanatomic ascending to descending aortic bypass employing an additional 18-mm graft, and a postoperative cardiac catheterization showed no gradient between the ascending and descending aorta. Our experience has shown that IAA should be repaired without prosthetic grafts if possible. Although extraanatomic bypass is useful for reducing the operative risks at reoperation, a large graft should be used to avoid the need for a third operation. For young children expected to outgrow a second graft, performing an endogenous anastomosis, such as a left subclavian turndown anastomosis, should be considered as an alternative.