THORACOABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM SURGERY; EARLY RESULTS

Materials and Method: Seventeen consequent patients, operated by the same team between January 2000 and February 2005 were studied. Patients were operated with total circulatory arrest (n=2, 2%), simple aortic clamp (n=7, 41%) and left atriofemoral bypass (n=8, 47%). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage was applied to 14 patients (82%). The relationship between operative mortality and spinal chord ischemic complications among variables was examined with Fisher"s Exact test by calculating Odds Ratio.

Results: In our series, hospital mortality of the patients was 24% (n=4) and the incidence of paraplegia was 13% (n=2). In 1 patient temporary, 1 patient permanent lower extremity adduction reduction has been observed as a neurologic disorder. Operative mortality increased with total circulatory arrest technique (p=0.044). The odd of disability of CSF drainage in paraplegic patients was 6.5 times higher, but this was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: We comment that, in thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm operations the use of total circulatory arrest technique should be avoided and CSF drainage decreases the risk for paraplegia. (Turkish J Vasc Surg 2005;14(3):9-14).