Surgical treatment of acute type A dissecting aneurysm, with preservation of the native aortic valve and use of biologic glue. Follow-up to 6 years.

We present an analysis of 59 patients operated on between 1983 and 1987 for acute type A dissecting aneurysm with aortic valve insufficiency. The ascending aorta was replaced with a Dacron tube, the layers of the dissection were unified with gelatin-resorcine-formaldehyde glue, and the natural aortic valve was preserved. Follow-up every 6 months was subject to actuarial analysis. The hospital mortality rate was 22%. The survivors were studied for 35.9 +/- 18.6 months (mean +/- standard deviation). Eight patients died (six of cardiovascular causes, one of cancer of the colon, and one of an unknown cause). Seventeen (36.9%) had aortic insufficiency, eight mild and nine moderate to severe. Four patients with severe insufficiency had reoperation with valve replacement. Excluding patients who have died or undergone reoperation, 29 of the remainder (90.6%) are free of symptoms. The follow-up survival rate is 61% +/- 6.93% (standard error) including hospital mortality. It is 55.4% +/- 7% (standard error) excluding reoperation and 44.2% +/- 7.1% (standard error) additionally excluding modest or severe aortic insufficiency. The use of gelatin-resorcine-formal glue allowed preservation of the native aortic valve, obviating the need for anticoagulants, and no embolic or hemorrhagic episodes were registered.