Background: Neurologic deficit (paraplegia or paraparesis) remains a significant morbidity in the repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysm.
Methods: Between February 1991 and February 2000, we operated on 182 patients for descending thoracic aortic aneurysm. For the purpose of this study-to identify the impact of the combined adjuncts distal aortic perfusion and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage on neurologic outcome-we selected the 148 of 182 nonemergent patients who had received conventional treatment (simple cross-clamping with or without adjuncts). The mean patient age was 61 years, and 49 of the 148 (33%) patients were women. Nine of the 148 patients (6%) had acute type B dissections. We compared the results of 105 of the 148 patients (71%) who received the combined adjuncts of CSF drainage and distal aortic perfusion with the remaining 43 (29%) patients who underwent repair using the simple cross-clamp with or without the addition of a single adjunct.
Results: Overall 30-day mortality was 13 of 148 patients (8.8%). Overall early neurologic deficit was 4 of 148 (2.7%): 1 of 105 (0.9%) patients who had received distal aortic perfusion and CSF drainage, versus 3 of 43 (7%) in all other patients (p < 0.04).
Conclusions: In our practice the use of the combined adjuncts of CSF drainage and distal aortic perfusion has all but eliminated the incidence of immediate postoperative neurologic deficit in nonemergent patients with aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta.