Inter-Stage Interval
60 patients were planned for Stage II, and inter-stage mortality (after discharge) occurred in 5 patients (8.3%). Of these, 1 patient had a fatal intracerebral hemorrhage, 1 patient had pulseless cardiac arrest due to exacerbation of heart failure, and 3 patients died of severe overwhelming sepsis (causes were; severe influenza pneumonia, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus bacteremia, and bacterial pneumonia in a patient with tracheostomy). There were no cases of aortic rupture in the inter-stage interval.