ORIGINAL ARTICLE  CARDIAC SECTION 

The Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 2020 April;61(2):226-33

DOI: 10.23736/S0021-9509.18.10639-2

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Association between false lumen segmental arteries and spinal cord ischemia in type A acute aortic dissection

Hiroshi KODAMA, Shinya TAKAHASHI ✉, Takanobu OKAZAKI, Shohei MORITA, Seimei GO, Masazumi WATANABE, Yoshitaka YAMANE, Keijiro KATAYAMA, Tatsuya KUROSAKI, Taijiro SUEDA

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Hiroshima, Japan

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) and paraplegia are complications of surgery for type A acute aortic dissection (TAAAD). Since the segmental arteries play a key role in SCI, this study evaluated the association between SCI and false lumen segmental arteries (FLSAs: segmental arteries originating from the false lumen).
METHODS: The study included 101 consecutive TAAAD patients (mean age, 66±13; range, 34-89 years) who underwent surgery from January 2011 to April 2017. The diagnosis of TAAAD and the number of FSLAs were determined by preoperative computed tomography (CT). Patients were divided into two groups according to the number of FLSAs at the Th9-L2 level: Group A (N.=13), ≥8 FLSAs; and group B (N.=88), ≤7 FLSAs. Preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative findings were compared between the groups, and risk factors for SCI were evaluated.
RESULTS: The frequency of preoperative paralysis was significantly higher in Group A than Group B (P=.0070). The overall incidence of postoperative SCI was 8% (8/101) and significantly higher in Group A than Group B (5/13 [45%] vs. 3/88 (4%), P<0.0001). Hospital mortality was 8% (8/101) and significantly higher in Group A than Group B (3/13 [23%] vs. 5/88 [6%], P=.0302). Multivariate analysis showed that the independent risk factors for SCI were ≥8 FLSAs at Th9-L2 (odds ratio [OR], 20.4; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 3.34-124.9, P=0.0011) and diabetes mellitus (OR, 22.3; 95% CI, 1.69-294.5; P=0.0184).
CONCLUSIONS: In patients who underwent surgery for TAAAD, ≥8 FLSAs at the Th9-L2 levels on preoperative CT was a risk factor for SCI.

KEY WORDS: Aneurysm, dissecting; Spinal cord ischemia; Paraplegia