Surgical Treatment of Aneurysms of the Ascending Aorta. Twelve Years' Experience in 66 Patients

Abstract

This study presents the results in 66 patients undergoing surgery for concomitant supracoronary vascular interposition and valve replacement carried out at the Department of Cardiac Surgery of the University of Munich, West-Germany, over a period of 12 years (from July 1, 1973 to June 30, 1985) using a technique similar to that described by Wheat. Forty-seven percent of the cases were true aneurysms and 20% chronic dissections. Thirty-three percent of patients had acute dissections. Early mortality was 16% in the total patient population, 9% in the group having true aneurysm and 32% in the group having acute dissection. No early death was observed in association with chronic dissections. The actuarial one-year survival rate in patients with true aneurysm or chronic dissection was 83.6%, and 54.1% in patients with acute dissection. The corresponding 4-year survival rates were 76.4% and 54.1%, respectively. The average improvement according to the New York Heart Association classification was 1.5 grades. These results confirm that the operative approach to ascending aortic aneurysms is superior to medical treatment, with the operative method involving vascular graft without concomitant aortic valve replacement as well as the method described by Wheat having both proved successful.