Stent-assisted balloon-induced intimal disruption and relamination of distal remaining aortic dissection after acute DeBakey type I repair

Surgical repair in patients with acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection (ADIAD) achieves good short-term results, but in several patients the false lumen remains patent in the descending aorta because of distal intimal tears with persisting risk for distal aneurismal evolution. We report the short- and mid-term outcomes of the stent-assisted balloon-induced intimal disruption and relamination of aortic dissection (STABILISE) technique for the 16 first patients treated for a residual dissection of the descending thoracic aorta after repaired ADIAD. We reviewed all patients treated with STABILISE for a remaining distal thoracoabdominal aortic dissection after ADIAD repair. From March 2016 to March 2018, 16 patients with previous surgery for ADIAD underwent the STABILISE procedure during the same hospitalization in a second-stage procedure to extend the repair within the descending thoracic aorta. The median age was 56 years (range, 43-65 years). Indication for the STABILISE procedure was persisting false lumen patency within the thoracic descending aorta associated with malperfusion symptoms in 13 patients and associated with dissecting aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta >40 mm in 3 patients. Technical success was achieved in 100%. Eight (12.5%) renal arteries required stenting during the procedure. In-hospital mortality was 6% (n = 1). There was no stroke, spinal cord ischemia, ischemic colitis, or renal failure requiring dialysis. Median length of follow-up was 8 months (range, 3-24 months). One patient developed a proximal type 1 endoleak in the arch and required reintervention for proximal extension of the stent graft in zone 2. The primary visceral patency rate was 100%. There were no late deaths reported. At last computed tomography scan, all patients had complete aortic remodeling of the treated thoracoabdominal aorta with no aortic enlargement. The STABILISE technique, in patients with remaining distal thoracoabdominal aortic dissection at the acute stage of a type A repair, allowed an immediate remodeling of the thoracoabdominal aorta, which should improve their long-term outcomes in terms of aortic-related events.