The efficacy of left atrial to femoral artery bypass in the prevention of spinal cord ischemia during aortic surgery.

Surgical repair of traumatic lesions or aneurysmectomy of the descending thoracic aorta necessitates the interruption of distal aortic blood flow, a situation which invariably promotes proximal hypertension accompanied by a precipitous increase in cerebrospinal fluid pressure and distal hypoperfusion. All are significant determinants of postoperative paraplegia. The institution of aortic bypass, distal to cross-clamping, by either implantation of an extraluminal passive shunt or deployment of left atrial to femoral artery (LA-FA) cannulation with a centrifugal pump, is the most widespread modality to afford a means of proximal decompression and provide distal perfusion. Passive shunt techniques do not consistently provide optimal bypass efficiency, due to inherent limitations of device design and the inability to accurately monitor and control flow. The LA-FA bypass technique is superior to passive shunts in effecting proximal unloading by allowing for precise adjustment of blood flow to equilibrate proximal and distal aortic pressures. The concomitant use of cerebrospinal fluid drainage with LA-FA bypass can effectively reduce the incidence of postoperative paraplegia. Intraoperative monitoring of evoked potentials as a sensitive indicator of spinal cord ischemia should be considered an integral component of preserving cord function. The use of cerebrospinal fluid drainage and evoked potential monitoring in conjunction with LA-FA bypass is therefore highly advisable.