Abstract

When there is an echocardiographic diagnosis of severe mobile atherosclerotic plaque in the aortic arch or descending aorta, perfusion toward the aortic arch during cardiopulmonary bypass may create a high risk of embolic neurologic injury. Other perfusion methods, such as cannulation of the femoral or axillary arteries, are not always possible, due to atherosclerosis. The ascending aorta may be an alternative site for perfusion, since it is less frequently diseased. We assessed a new technique of perfusion toward the aortic valve using a new cannula designed for this purpose (Dispersion aortic cannula). Our study included 100 consecutive patients, 72 men and 28 women, with an average age of 68 +/- 1.0 years (range, 39-89 years). There were no complications related to insertion of the cannula or perfusion. The ascending aorta could be cross-clamped and side-clamped without perfusion problems. Three deaths occurred; none was related to the cannulation technique. No intra-operative stroke occurred. Two patients suffered neurologic events, one on day 1 and the other on day 6; both had been fully alert after surgery. Perfusion toward the aortic valve appears to be safe and hemodynamically effective. This cannulation technique appears to be an acceptable alternative to present methods. Comparative studies will be needed to determine whether this alternative technique is effective in patients with severe aortic arch disease.