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Urgent Frozen Elephant Trunk for an Aortic Arch Pseudoaneurysm Secondary to Fractured Sternal Wire
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  • Filippos - Paschalis Rorris,
  • Pantelis Tsipas,
  • Konstantinos Velissarios ,
  • Theodoros Kratimenos,
  • Lydia Kokotsaki ,
  • Mohammad Salmasi,
  • Thanos Athanasiou,
  • John Kokotsakis
Filippos - Paschalis Rorris
Evangelismos Athens General Hospital

Corresponding Author:prorris@gmail.com

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Pantelis Tsipas
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Konstantinos Velissarios
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Theodoros Kratimenos
Evangelismos General Hospital
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Lydia Kokotsaki
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Mohammad Salmasi
Imperial College London
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Thanos Athanasiou
Imperial College London
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John Kokotsakis
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Abstract

Pseudoaneurysms of the aorta are rare complications of cardiac surgery, and sternal re-entry to address the pathology is particularly challenging. In this case, we describe a rare presentation of thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm due to chronic erosion from a sternal wire, 10 years following the index operation. The patient was treated in two-stages, including carotid-subclavian bypass, followed by sternal re-entry with total arch replacement and frozen elephant trunk, employing cardiopulmonary bypass via femoral and axillary cannulation. Despite the high risks of rupture/haemorrhage associated with sternal re-entry, operative success for aortic pseudoaneurysms can be achieved with careful planning and safe bypass strategies.