Early and midterm outcomes of open surgical correction after thoracic endovascular aortic repair

Background: We present a single center's experience of secondary interventions after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).

Methods: One hundred and forty-seven patients underwent TEVAR at our institution between 2000 and 2012. A total of 26 patients (19 male, mean age 68.4 ± 12.7 years), including 7 patients with primary TEVAR at other centers, underwent secondary interventions. The median interval to secondary intervention was 17.2 months (range, 0.22 to 36.1). The indications for secondary interventions included procedure-related dissection (n = 1), collapse of the endovascular device (n = 1), aortoesophageal fistula (n = 1), residual dissection (n = 3), and endoleaks causing dilation of the sac (n = 17) or aortic rupture (n = 3). Sixteen patients underwent open conversion including total arch replacement (n = 2), extensive replacement of the aortic arch or descending aorta (n = 10), and thoracoabdominal aortic replacement (n = 4). Second-time TEVAR was performed in the remaining 10 patients.

Results: The in-hospital mortality rate was 11.5% (3 patients; 1 case of multiorgan failure after open conversion, and 1 case of mesenteric ischemia and 1 case of aortic rupture after second-time TEVAR). Postoperative stroke after second-time TEVAR occurred in 1 patient. The cumulative survival rate of the 26 patients was 80.0% ± 8.0% at 5 years after secondary intervention. Short proximal neck (p = 0.0036), steep angulation of landing zones (p = 0.033), and nonuse of commercially available devices (p = 0.011) were significantly correlated with incidence of TEVAR failure.

Conclusions: Secondary surgical procedures after TEVAR can be performed with low mortality and morbidity, despite the precarious preoperative conditions and complex aortic pathologies of patients.