Surgical Treatment of Aortic Aneurysms

Abstract

Two bypass techniques were used in 21 patients with aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta. Sixteen patients had a conventional left-heart bypass with heparin, and five patients had a local shunt without heparin. The local shunt technique is described. The use of a local shunt instead of left-heart bypass considerably reduced operation time, duration of bypass and blood consumption. The local shunt technique is simple and safe. The equipment is minimal and the method can be applied without the delay involved in setting up cardio-pulmonary bypass.