Aneurysms of descending aorta still cause great morbidity and mortality even in modern cardiac surgery days. In this paper, we describe the use of a recente technique which consists in the insertion of an intraluminal Dacron prosthesis, sutured only in its proximal end, just after the left subclavian artery. The prosthesis goes beyoud the aneurysm area and stays free in its distal aortic segment (elephant trunk). The operation is performed with bypass and profound hypothermia at 19ºC with circulatory arrest for just enough time to insert the prosthesis and make the proximal suture. Since May 1988 eight patients underwent this kind of surgery: six cases of acute type B dissection and two cases of saccular aneurysms. The procedure is very simple and fast and the post-operative results obtained make clear that our experience should go on. We recommend this procedure as a tactical alternative, specially for type B dissections.
aneurysms of descending aorta; intraluminal prosthesis