The effect of aortic arch replacement on pulse wave velocity after surgery

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in pulse wave velocity (PWV) after aortic arch repair and to evaluate possible perioperative factors associated with an increase in PWV. METHODS: Eighty-nine patients with preoperative and postoperative PWV measurements who underwent surgical treatment for true aortic arch aneurysm were included in the study. The patients were treated by prosthetic graft replacement with or without the frozen elephant trunk technique or by hybrid surgery with a stent graft. Changes in PWV and perioperative factors were evaluated. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients were treated by prosthetic graft replacement; 22 patients were treated with the frozen elephant trunk procedure; and 16 patients were treated by hybrid surgery. A significant increase in PWV was observed in patients undergoing surgical treatment for aortic arch aneurysm regardless of the types of operations performed (all treatments: before, 1797 +/- 397.8 cm/s vs after, 2061 +/- 600.4 cm/s, P < 0.001; graft replacement: before, 1769 +/- 398.1 cm/s vs after, 1895 +/- 459.0 cm/s, P= 0.004; frozen elephant trunk procedure: before, 1911 +/- 461.9 cm/s vs after 2307 +/- 826.9 cm/s, P = 0.005; hybrid surgery: before, 1732 +/- 273.3 cm/s vs after, 2254 +/- 484.6 cm/s, P < 0.001). Differences in PWV were largest in patients treated with hybrid surgery and lowest in those treated with graft replacement (P = 0.002). In univariate analysis, an increase in PWV was positively correlated with treatment length (r =0.41; P < 0.001); the use of a postoperative beta blocker was associated with a smaller increase in postoperative PWV (with: 165.0 +/- 371.92 cm/s vs without: 439.4 530.38 cm/s, P = 0.005). Multivariate analysis suggested that treatment length (coefficient 3.31, 95% confidence interval 0.056-6.562, P = 0.046) and postoperative beta blocker (coefficient -220.08, 95% confidence interval -401.972 to -38.183, P = 0.018) were factors independently associated with changes in PWV. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant increase in PWV after aortic arch repair. Treatment length and use of postoperative beta blockers were factors associated with changes in postoperative PWV. Minimizing the treatment length and using postoperative beta blockers may attenuate the effects of prostheses on postoperative PWV.