Procedure

Neonatal aortic arch surgery

Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna Medical School, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy

^* Corresponding author: ^* Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit Director, Tel.: +39-051-6363156; fax: +39-051-6363157.gargiulo{at}aosp.bo.it

Surgical repair of the aortic arch is entailed in the neonatal period of patients with: hypoplastic left heart syndrome, interrupted aortic arch, hypoplastic aortic arch and complex aortic coarctation. Aortic arch surgery requires a period of circulatory arrest and deep hypothermia. Cerebral selective perfusion has recently been introduced as an alternative to circulatory arrest with the aim of reducing mortality and neurological complications. Moreover, the arch reconstruction phase can be safely performed under moderate hypothermia and with cerebral and myocardial perfusion (on beating heart), thus, completely avoiding cerebral ischemia and completely avoiding or drastically reducing myocardial ischemia.

Key Words: Antegrade selective cerebral perfusion • Aortic arch hypoplasia • Circulatory arrest • Interrupted aortic arch