Key result
The frozen elephant trunk technique for complex aortic diseases achieved 100% technical success and 14.2% in-hospital mortality, with 73.5% overall survival at 24 months.
Observational (n=70)
No
The frozen elephant trunk procedure for complex aortic diseases demonstrated 100% technical success and acceptable mid-term survival, though with a 14.2% in-hospital mortality rate in a real-world setting.
Supports FET feasibility in complex aortic disease; leaves open need for randomized comparisons to confirm outcomes.
Background and aim of the study. To report early clinical outcomes of the frozen elephant trunk technique (FET) for the treatment of complex aortic diseases after transition from conventional elephant trunk. Methods. A single-center, retrospective study of patients who underwent hybrid aortic arch and FET repair for aortic arch and/or proximal descending aortic aneurysms, acute and chronic Stanford type A aortic dissection with arch and/or proximal descending involvement, Stanford type B acute and chronic aortic dissections with retrograde aortic arch involvement. Results. Between December 2017 and May 2020, 70 consecutive patients (62.7±10.6 years, 59 male) were treated: 41 (58.6%) for acute conditions and 29 (41.4%) for chronic. Technical success was 100%. In-hospital mortality was 14.2% (n=12, 17.1% emergency vs. 10.3% chronic, P=NS); 2 (2.9%) major strokes; 1 (1.4%) spinal cord injury. Follow-up was 12.5 months (IQR 3.7—22.3. Overall survival at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months was 90% (95% CI, 83.2—97.3), 85.6% (95% CI, 77.7—94.3), 79.1% (95% CI, 69.9—89.5), 75.6% (95% CI, 65.8—86.9) and 73.5 (95% CI, 63.3—85.3). There were no aortic re-interventions and no dSINE; 5 patients with residual type B dissection underwent TEVAR completion. Conclusions. In a real-world setting, FET demonstrated a rapid learning curve and good clinical outcomes, even in acute type A aortic dissections. Techniques to perfect the procedure and to reduce remaining risks, and consensus on considerations such as standardized cerebral protection need to be reported.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Masiello et al. (2021) conducted an observational in Complex aortic diseases (n=70). Frozen elephant trunk technique (FET) was evaluated on In-hospital mortality. The frozen elephant trunk technique for complex aortic diseases achieved 100% technical success and 14.2% in-hospital mortality, with 73.5% overall survival at 24 months.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: