[Repair of thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurisms by the use of hypothermic circulatory arrest].

From 1993 to 2003, repair of thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms using hypothermic circulatory arrest via the left thoracotomy was performed in 115 patients at our hospital. Ninety-one of them were elective cases and 24 of them were emergent cases. Hospital mortality rate was 3.3% in elective cases and 12.5% in emergent cases. Over all hospital mortality rate was 5.2%. Ischemic spinal cord injury was occurred in 2 patients (1.7%). Both of them needed total replacement of thoracoabodominal aorta by the graft. In the near future, Adamkiewicz artery may be detected by the imaging technology preoperatively and we expect the repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm may become safer operation avoiding spinal cord injury. Hypothermic circulatory arrest is a relatively safe and reliable method for the repair of thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.