Giant size abdominal aortic aneurysm repair using open proximal anastomosis under hypothermic circulatory arrest: a report of two cases.

Hypothermic total circulatory arrest and open proximal anastomosis techniques are not commonly used in abdominal or juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Proximal aortic clamping is usually adequate for surgical repair of abdominal aortic pathologies. We present two cases of giant-sized abdominal aortic aneurysms, one was juxtarenal and one was a Crawford type IV thoracoabdominal aneurysm, that were repaired by using open proximal anastomosis under hypothermic total circulatory arrest and a transabdominal approach. This technique may be useful for both thoracoabdominal and large abdominal aortic aneurysms because it offers the opportunity to not clamp the aorta and operate in bloodless surgical field.