Prosthetic Graft Dilation at the Aortic Arch in the Era of Hybrid Aortic Surgery

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the chronological size changes of the prosthetic graft in the aortic arch, which is used as a landing zone for a subsequent stent grafting in hybrid aortic surgery. Materials and Methods: Eighty-five patients who underwent total aortic arch replacement followed by computed tomography follow-up for at least 30 months after the surgery were included in the study. Results: Prosthetic grafts used were Hemashield (Maquet, Rastatt, Germany), J-Graft (Japan Lifeline Inc., Tokyo, Japan) and Triplex (Terumo, Tokyo, Japan). There was an initial increase in diameter compared to package size after implantation (Hemashield, 1.04±0.035 vs. J-Graft, 1.06±0.027 vs. Triplex, 1.04±0.023, p=0.13). Significant difference in graft dilation ratio was observed in Triplex (1.18±0.062) at long-term compared to Hemashield (1.07±0.052, p<0.001) and J-Graft (1.10±0.071, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that age (r=0.002; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0001–0.0037; p=0.035), knitted-type prosthesis (r=0.089; 95% CI, 0.0610–0.1163; p<0.0001), and prevalence of cerebral vascular disease (r=0.038; 95% CI, 0.0030–0.0732; p=0.034) were independently associated with graft dilation after surgery. Conclusion: Prosthetic graft selection and appropriate sizing of the stent graft should be considered for each individual undergoing hybrid aortic surgery to maintain sufficient oversizing of the stent graft.