Type B aortic dissection repair using a Thoraflex hybrid prosthesis in a setting of aberrant left vertebral artery

Abstract

Abstract Type B aortic dissection (TBAD) is often managed conservatively with intervention reserved for complicated cases. Strategies for complicated and uncomplicated TBAD can involve optimal medical therapy, thoracic endovascular aortic replacement and open surgical repair of TBAD with replacement of the affected segment of aorta and reimplantation of aortic branches. The frozen elephant trunk technique has been reported to be a successful surgical strategy in patients with complicated TBAD, particularly in patients who possess unfavourable aortic arch anatomy for endovascular stenting or at increased risk of retrograde Type A aortic dissection. The Thoraflex is a commercially available aortic graft, manufactured by Vascutek®. We describe a successful case of addressing complicated TBAD with rare variant aortic anatomy using a Thoraflex hybrid frozen elephant trunk graft and reimplantation of the aberrant left vertebral artery to the perfusion limb of the Thoraflex graft.