Successful Surgical Treatment of Descending Aorta Interruption: A Case Report

Abstract

Descending aorta interruption is an extremely rare congenital defect. Conventional repair with end-to-end anastomoses is often a surgical challenge in view of the extensive collateral vessels that develop on the chest wall and inside the chest cavity. Extra-anatomic bypass is the preferred technique for the surgical repair of this entity, which avoids the network of collateral vessels, enables simultaneous treatment of associated lesions, and in all likelihood reduces morbidity and mortality. Here we describe an extra-anatomic bypass from the ascending aorta to the bilateral iliac arteries in a 24-year-old woman using vascular grafts (MAQUET Holding B.V. & Co. KG, Rastatt, Germany) without cardiopulmonary bypass.