Background: In this study, our surgical experience on axillary artery cannulation in Stanford type A aortic dissection was evaluated.

Methods: Sixty patients (22 females, 38 males; mean age 52.0±10.9; range 23 to 73 years) were in the study who had been operated between April 2001 and February 2005. The first 19 patients (31.7) were operated by using direct axillary artery cannulation whereas the other 41 patients (68.3%) were operated by cannulating the graft which was anastomosed to the axillary artery in an end to side fashion. The patients were evaluated according to the cannulation related complications and neurologic events.

Results: Mean postoperative hospital stay was 8.2±3.9 days. Axillary artery dissection in two patients (10.5%) and right upper extremity ischemia in one patient (5.2%) were seen in the patients with direct axillary artery cannulation. No surgical complication was met in side graft cannulation. The difference was not statistically significant although neurologic complications were higher in direct cannulation. Six patients died in the postoperative period.

Conclusion: Axillary artery cannulation is a technique that has low morbidty and mortality rates and should be routinely used in Stanford type A aortic dissections.

Keywords : Type A aortic dissection; axillary artery cannulation