Proximalization of the distal anastomosis in frozen elephant trunk surgery

Background

The frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique is frequently used in aortic arch diseases. Proximalization of the distal anastomosis from zone 3 to zone 2 results in shorter distal ischemia times and improved outcomes. This study assessed the impact of performing distal anastomoses progressively more proximally.

Methods

A total of 243 patients treated between March 2016 and December 2023 were identified using our institutional database, and relevant data were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were stratified according to the distal anastomosis zone, and perioperative and outcome variables were compared. A subgroup analysis was performed accordingly for patients with acute aortic dissections.

Results

Most of the 243 included patients (66%) were treated for acute dissection, followed by chronic dissection (24%) and thoracic aortic aneurysms (10%). The patients’ mean age was 62.5 ± 10.8 years, and 175 patients (72%) were male. The distal ischemia time was significantly reduced with the more proximal anastomoses: 24.5 minutes for zone 0 (69 patients), 37.4 minutes for zone 1 (18 patients), 30.4 minutes for zone 2 (145 patients), and 38.7 minutes for zone 3 (11 patients); P < .001. A longer cross-clamping time in zone 0 was explained by the higher number of root procedures, while other outcome parameters showed no significant differences. These same significant differences also were present in the acute dissection subgroup. In a separate analysis, a shorter duration of distal ischemia correlated with improved long-term survival (P = .002).

Conclusions

The FET technique with distal anastomosis in zone 2 is a reliable technique that produces good results. Proximalization of the distal anastomosis to zone 0 significantly reduces the ischemic burden and simplifies the procedure.