Results of surgical treatment of arterial aneurysms of the basilar artery bifurcation

Objective ‒ to analyze the results of surgical treatment of basilar artery (BA) bifurcation arterial aneurysms (AA), taking into account the method of BA obliteration, the type of disease, to summarize the results of surgical treatment of BA.Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of the results of a comprehensive examination and surgical treatment of 132 patients with AA of BA bifurcation in a group of 387 operated patients with posterior cerebral circulation aneurysms, who were hospitalized and operated in the vascular departments of the State Institution Romodanov Neurosurgery Institute National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine in the period from 1998 to 2019 years is made. Patients were divided into groups according to the type of disease and the method of surgical treatment of AA of BA bifurcation. The analysis of the results of surgical treatment AA of BA bifurcation was performed taking into account the method of occlusion and the clinical type.Results. The balloon occlusion technique was used in 16 (12.1 %) patients with AA of BA bifurcation, including hemorrhagic and other types of disease. Radical exclusion of AA of BA bifurcation was achieved only in 1 (6.25 %) patients of this group. Exclusion of AA of BA bifurcation at level IIR was also recorded in only 1 (6.25 %) patient. In 4 (25.0 %) patients, the level of AA occlusion corresponded to IIIR. In 10 (62.5 %) patients, after surgery using the balloon occlusion technique, AA of BA bifurcation remained not excluded. Satisfactory functional results of treatment using the balloon occlusion technique, according to mRs, were obtained in 7 (43.7 %) patients of this group, without taking into account the radicality of AA of BA bifurcation exclusion. Transcranial technique, taking into account hemorrhagic and other types of flow, was used in 5 (3.8 %) patients with AA of BA bifurcation. In 4 (80.0 %) patients of this group, radical exclusion from the bloodstream was achieved by clipping (occlusion level ‒ IR). In 1 (20.0 %) wrapping of aneurysm walls were strengthened (occlusion level ‒ AA of BA bifurcation is strengthened). Satisfactory functional treatment results in this group were obtained in 3 (60.0 %) observations. Using modern methods of aneurysm coil embolization, 111 (84.0 %) patients with AA of BA bifurcation were operated. Radical exclusion of AA from the bloodstream at the level of IR was achieved in 40 (36.0 %) patients. The level of occlusion IIR was observed in 48 (43.2 %) patients. In 26 (23.4 %) cases, the level of occlusion corresponded to IIIR. In 1 (0.9 %) case, the aneurysm was excluded at level IIID. Satisfactory functional results, according to mRs, in this group were obtained in 89 (80.2 %) observations.Conclusions. The main method of treatment of AA of BA bifurcation, regardless of the type of disease, should be considered endovascular with the use of modern methods of endovascular obliteration of aneurysm. Methods of transcranial clipping of aneurysms are possible in the surgical treatment of AA of BA bifurcation, but it is advisable to use them when it is impossible to perform endovascular intervention with modern methods of obliteration. The balloon occlusion technique is extremely ineffective in terms of radical shutdown and quality of life of operated patients with AA of BA bifurcation and can only be considered as a subject of the historical aspect of endovascular treatment of AA of BA bifurcation.

The strategy of cardiopulmonary bypass for total aortic arch replacement and the frozen elephant trunk technique with aortic balloon occlusion

Objective To investigate the use of the aortic balloon occlusion technique to assist total aortic arch replacement (TAR) with frozen elephant trunk (FET) to shorten the lower body circulatory arrest (CA) time and raise the nadir temperature during cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods This retrospective study reviewed consecutive patients that underwent aortic balloon occlusion to assist TAR with FET and patients that received conventional TAR with FET procedures. Preoperative characteristics, perioperative characteristics and postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results The study included130 patients treated with aortic balloon occlusion and 230 patients treated with conventional TAR with FET. The 30-day mortality rate was similar between the aortic balloon occlusion and conventional groups (4.62% versus 7.83%, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that aortic balloon occlusion reduced the incidence of acute kidney injury, hepatic injury and red blood cell transfusion. The application of aortic balloon occlusion reduced the mean ± SD CA time from 17.24 ± 4.36 min to 6.33 ± 5.74 min, with the target nadir nasal temperature being increased from 25°C to 28°C. Conclusion The aortic balloon occlusion technique achieved significant improvements in reducing complications, but this did not translate into lower 30-day mortality.

Perfusion management of aortic balloon occlusion technique in total arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk

To ensure both cerebral and lower body perfusion during total arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk, aortic balloon occlusion technique has been applied in some cases at our institute. During the procedure, after stented elephant trunk is inserted into the true lumen of the descending aorta, an aortic balloon catheter is placed and inflated within the stented elephant trunk, occluding the orifice of descending aorta. Then, lower body perfusion is provided via femoral cannulae during distal aortic arch anastomosis. We describe the perfusion management strategy of the technique, elucidate intraoperative monitoring parameters, and clarify the feasibility of the method from the aspect of perfusion.