Endoaortic occlusion with the intraclude device during the management of ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm.

A 63-year-old man was admitted with chest pain after a previous aortic valve replacement. Computed tomographic scan identified a 7-cm pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta, and he was referred for repair. At operation, endoaortic occlusion of the aorta was used to arrest the heart and decompress the aorta to facilitate sternal reentry, dissection, and subsequent control. To our knowledge, this technique has not been reported and represents a useful maneuver in this challenging clinical situation.