Immediate Recognition and Surgical Treatment of Iatrogenic Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Is Associated with Low Hospital Mortality and High Intermediate-Term Survival.

Background: To investigate short- and intermediate-term outcomes of immediate (on table) recognition and surgical treatment of iatrogenic acute type A aortic dissection (ATAD) that occurred during the course of the cardiac surgical procedures. Methods: Of 23,143 adult patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures at our institution from January 2016 to December 2020, 21 (0.09%) suffered from intraoperative iatrogenic ATAD and underwent immediate aortic repair. Their clinical characteristics, in-hospital outcomes and follow-up results were analyzed. Results: Among the 21 patients, 13 (61.9%) suffered from hypertension, and 14 (66.7%) had a dilated ascending aorta. In-hospital mortality was 9.5%, and new onset of permanent neurologic deficit was recorded in one patient. During a median follow-up of 36.0 months, all 18 follow-up patients survived without repeated surgeries. A follow-up computed tomography (CT) examination revealed a residual false lumen in the aortic arch in 3 patients and in the descending aorta in 8, with residual false lumen perfusion in one. Conclusions: Immediate recognition and surgical repair of ATAD that developed as a complication during cardiac surgical procedures are associated with low mortality and high intermediate-term survival.