Impact of direct carotid artery perfusion in acute type A aortic dissection involving the common carotid artery

OBJECTIVES: Acute type A aortic dissection complicated with brain ischemia is associated with significantly higher mortality risks. Even if rescued with central aortic repair, some patients develop permanent postoperative neurological deficiency postoperatively. We recently introduced direct common carotid artery perfusion for acute type A aortic dissection involving the common carotid artery. This study introduced this technique to prevent postoperative neurological deficiency by comparing brain protection strategies. METHODS: Among 91 acute type A aortic dissection patients treated at our hospital during August 2015–October 2020, the common carotid artery was involved in 19 (21%), which had > 90% stenosis in either of the carotid arteries on preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography. Twelve patients underwent conventional selective cerebral perfusion during August 2015–December 2018 and seven patients underwent direct carotid artery perfusion during January 2019–October 2020. We assessed patient characteristics, surgical courses, clinical outcomes, and neurological outcomes. RESULTS: The mean age was 69 (range 39–84) years; 17 patients were male (89%). Eight patients (42%) had neurological symptoms. Concomitant procedures, postoperative neurological symptoms, and late mortality were significantly associated with conventional selective cerebral perfusion. Five selective cerebral perfusion patients experienced worsened neurological symptoms and two died of broad cerebral ischemia. No direct carotid artery perfusion patient died during hospitalization or experienced worsened neurological outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Direct carotid artery perfusion may be useful in aortic dissection with brain ischemia because it does not aggravate neurological symptoms and is not associated with intraoperative cerebral infarction. However, it may be ineffective when cerebral infarction has already developed.