Retrograde cerebral perfusion during hypothermic circulatory arrest reduces neurologic morbidity.

Abstract Hypothermic circulatory arrest has become an accepted technique for a variety of cardiac and complex aortic operations. However, prolonged periods (>45 min) of hypothermic circulatory arrest in older patients is associated with marginal cerebral protection and an increased inicidence of adverse neurologic events. In an effort to minimize such morbidity, we used a technique of retrograde cerebral perfusion with continuous monitoring of cerebral hemoglobin oxygen saturation during hypothermic circulatory arrest in 35 patients who understand thoracic aortic operations or resection of intracardiac tumor. There were 27 men and 8 women (mean age 60 years, range 21 to 83 years). Sixteen patients has acute dissection, 6 had contained rupture of a thoracic aortic aneurysm, 10 had total either a chronic dissection or aneurysm and 3 had hypernephromas, extending into the heart. Six patients underwent root replacement by means of an open technique for their distal anastomosis, 7 underwent root and partial arch replacement, 12 had root and total arch replacement, 7 had total arch replacemetn, and 3 had resection of tumor in the heart and retrohepatec vena cava. Seven vessels, and 2 patients had a cesarean section. Sixteen cases were emergency, 6 urgent, and 13 elective. Nine (26%) were reoperations. Thrity-four patients underwent the procedure via a median sternotomy and one patient through a posterolateral thoracotomy. The mean retrograde cerebral perfusion time was 63 minutes (range 35 to 128 minutes), with 30 (86%) patients having more than 45 minutes, 12 (34%) having more than 65 minutes, and 4 (11%) having more than 90 minutes. There was 1 operative death caused by preoperative myocardial infraction from an aortic dissection, and there were 2 late deaths (multiple organ failure and ruptured total aortic aneurysm). One patient had a stroke with a residual right hemiplegia and a pronounced aphasia. There were no other significant neurologic events or reoperations for bleeding. The average length of stay for patients having elective operations was 11 days and for those having emergency operations, 27 days. At a mean follow-up of 6 months all surviving patients (91%) are well. Hypothermic circulatory arrest is a relatively simple technique that provides a bloodless field and good visualization without the need for aortic crossclamps. Moreover, retrograde cerebral perfusion with continuous monitoring of cerebral oxygen saturation extends the "safe" time for hypothermic circulatory arrest, allowing ample opportunity to perform complicated cardiac operations with reduced risk of adverse neurologic events. ( J T horac C ardiovasc S urg 1995;109-259-68)