Abstract Introduction: The aim of this study is to compare postoperative outcomes and follow-up of two different modifications facilitating surgical technique of frozen elephant trunk (FET) procedure for complex thoracic aortic diseases - zone 0 (fixation with total arch debranching) and zone 3 (fixation with islet-shape arch repair). Methods: From May 2012 to December 2018, data were collected from 139 patients who had been treated with FET procedure for complex thoracic aortic diseases. According to Ishimaru arch map, patients with proximal anastomotic site of hybrid graft at zone 0 and zone 3 were grouped as Group A (n=58, 41.7%) and Group B (n=81, 58.3%), respectively. Mean age of study population was 54.7±11.4 years, and 111 patients were male (79.9%). Results: In-hospital mortality was observed in 20 (14.4%) patients (n=12, acute type A aortic dissection, and n=4, previous aortic dissection surgery). There was no significant difference between both groups in terms of in-hospital mortality. Four patients from Group A and three patients from Group B had permanent neurological deficit (P=0.32). Three patients from both groups had transient spinal cord ischemia (P=0.334). Although mean total perfusion time was longer in Group A, duration of visceral ischemia, when compared with Group B, was shorter (P<0.001). Five-year survival rate was 82.8% in Group A and 81.5% in Group B (P=0.876). Conclusion: FET procedure is a feasible repair technique in the treatment of complex aortic diseases, providing satisfactory early results. Because of its advantageous aspects, zone 0 fixation with debranching is the preferred technique in our clinic.

Abstract Objective: Primary cardiac tumors are rare lesions with different histological type. We reviewed our 17 years of experience in the surgical treatment and clinical results of primary non-myxoma cardiac tumors. Methods: Between July 2000 and February 2017, 21 patients with primary cardiac tumor were surgically treated in our institution. The tumors were categorized as benign non-myxomas and malignants. Data including the demographic characteristics, details of the tumor histology and grading, cardiac medical and surgical history, surgical procedure of the patients were obtained from the hospital database. Results: Eleven patients were diagnosed with benign non-myxoma tumor (male/female:7/4), ranging in age from 10 days to 74 years (mean age 30.9±26.5 years). Papillary fibroelastoma was the most frequent type (63.6%). There were two early deaths in benign group (all were rhabdomyoma), and mortality rate was 18%. The mean follow-up period was 69.3±58.7 months (range, 3 to 178 months). All survivals in benign group were free of tumor-related symptoms and tumor relapses. Ten patients were diagnosed with malignant tumor (sarcoma/lymphoma:8/2, male/female:3/7), ranging in age from 14 years to 73 years (mean age 44.7±18.9 years). Total resection could be done in only three (30%) patients. The mean follow-up period was 18.7±24.8 months (range, 0-78 months). Six patients died in the first 10 months. Conclusion: Complete resection of the cardiac tumors, whenever possible, is the main goal of surgery. Surgical resection of benign cardiac tumors is safe, usually curative and provides excellent long-term prognosis. On the contrary, malignant cardiac tumors still remain highly lethal.

Abstract Objective: This study aims to compare three different surgical approaches for combined coronary and carotid artery stenosis as a single stage procedure and to assess effect of operative strategy on mortality and neurological complications. Methods: This retrospective study involves 136 patients who had synchronous coronary artery revascularization and carotid endarterectomy in our institution, between January 2002 and December 2012. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to the surgical technique used. Group I included 70 patients who had carotid endarterectomy, followed by coronary revascularization with on-pump technique, group II included 29 patients who had carotid endarterectomy, followed by coronary revascularization with off-pump technique, group III included 37 patients who had coronary revascularization with on-pump technique followed by carotid endarterectomy under aortic cross-clamp and systemic hypothermia (22-27ºC). Postoperative outcomes were evaluated. Results: Overall early mortality and stroke rate was 5.1% for both. There were 3 (4.3%) deaths in group I, 2 (6.9%) deaths in group II and 2 (5.4%) deaths in group III. Stroke was observed in 5 (7.1%) patients in group I and 2 (6.9%) in group II. Stroke was not observed in group III. No statistically significant difference was observed for mortality and stroke rates among the groups. Conclusion: We identified no significant difference in mortality or neurologic complications among three approaches for synchronous surgery for coronary and carotid disease. Therefore it is impossible to conclude that a single principle might be adapted into standard practice. Patient specific risk factors and clinical conditions might be important in determining the surgical tecnnique.