Management of visceral aortic patch aneurysms after thoracoabdominal repair with open, hybrid, or endovascular approach

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the outcomes of patients with visceral aortic patch (VAP) aneurysms after open repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) treated with three different approaches: open, hybrid, and endovascular repair. Methods: Between 1993 and 2016, there were 29 cases treated for VAP aneurysm after initial TAAA open repair (median time interval, 6.2 years; interquartile range, 4-8 years). Three different treatment modalities were employed: redo open repair (O group) in 14 cases (48.3%), hybrid repair (H group) in 10 cases (34.5%), and endovascular custom-made fenestrated endograft repair (E group) in 5 cases (17.2%). Early (30-day) and midterm results were recorded. The primary end point was a composite major adverse event score: any 30-day death plus any grade ≥2 postoperative complications plus any surgical revision classified according to the Society for Vascular Surgery/American Association for Vascular Surgery reporting standards. Patients were evaluated with computed tomography scans in the outpatient clinic at 3, 6, and 12 months and annually thereafter. Results: The composite major adverse event score significantly differed among groups (O group, 79%; H group, 60%; E group, 0%; P =.009). Two cases (6.9%) of temporary delayed spinal cord ischemia (grade 1) were observed in both the E and H groups. The treatment modality employed was differently associated with blood loss ≥1000 mL (O group, 79%; H group, 40%; E group, 0%; P =.007), number of packed red blood cells transfused ≥3 units (O group, 100%; H group, 90%; E group, 40%; P =.003), intensive care unit stay >1 day (O group, 71%; H group, 70%; E group, 0%; P =.014), and length of hospital stay ≥7 days (O group, 79%; H group, 80%, E group, 20%; P =.034). At short term (6 months), we observed one endovascular reintervention in the E group and one fatal visceral graft thrombosis in the H group. At a median follow-up of 30 months (interquartile range, 15-75 months), we observed another aneurysm-related death in the H group due to graft infection and four unrelated deaths (one case in the H group and two cases in the O group). Conclusions: This retrospective study confirms that repair of VAP aneurysms that develop after open repair of TAAAs can be performed with open, hybrid, and endovascular techniques. Current practice favors endovascular repair if possible, but a conclusion that it is superior to any other technique requires validation in a larger sample or a randomized trial.