2021 Volume 50 Issue 5 Pages 328-332
A 75-year-old man was referred to our hospital with a chief complaint of sudden back pain and fever. Enhanced CT showed a Kommerell diverticulum (KD) with right aortic arch and aberrant left subclavian artery (ALSA). It also showed type B aortic dissection with a closed false lumen and the horizontal diameter of the KD was 73 mm. We decided on elective surgery because the size of the KD was so large ; he also had aortic dissection and difficulty in swallowing due to compression of the esophagus. We avoided thoracotomy because it was challenging to approach to the KD and reconstruct the ALSA in situ. There also was the risk of injury to organs around the KD especially the esophagus and trachea via thoracotomy. Therefore, we performed an elective one-stage operation comprising total arch replacement (TAR) and frozen elephant trunk (FET) through median sternotomy followed by thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). We could perform the operation safely with a good field of view. This strategy did not need a thoracotomy or in situ reconstruction of the ALSA. The post-operative course was uneventful and he was discharged 18 days after the operation. A CT scan 6 months after the operation showed size reduction of the thrombosed KD with no residual leakage of the stent graft. This hybrid method is one effective option for a KD with right aortic arch and ALSA. We report a successful one-stage hybrid operation for KD with some literature review.
