Retrograde cerebral perfusion exceeding 120 minutes in aortic arch reconstruction: a report of two cases.

The time limits for retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) during aortic arch reconstruction have yet to be clarified. We herein present two cases with periods of RCP exceeding 120 min during aortic reconstruction; both patients recovered uneventfully with no neurological deficits. These data suggest that RCP, as an adjunct to hypothermic circulatory arrest, may prolong the circulatory arrest time and thus prevent ischemic injury of the brain, even when RCP exceeds 120 min.