Hypothermic arrest for descending aortic rupture in reoperative patients

Establishing hypothermic bypass for repair of descending thoracic aortic ru pture in reoperative patients presents unique challenges for the operative team. A higher risk of stroke, embolization, and malperfusion further incre ases overall morbidity and mortality. Traditional femoral arterial cannulat ion may not be the optimal route for bypass for these patients. We report t wo reoperative cases using the right subclavian artery for arterial inflow to avoid these problems. (C) 2001 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.