Retrograde perfusion of the spinal cord during aortic crossclamping: initial observations in the swine model

Spinal cord retrograde perfusion: review of the literature and experimental observations

BACKGROUND

Spinal cord damage represents a devastating complication of thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery. Retrograde perfusion as an alternative route to protect the spinal cord has recently been investigated with controversial results. We reviewed the literature and analyzed additional experimental observations.

METHODS

Ten juvenile pigs were divided into control and study groups (A and B, respectively). Through a lateral thoracotomy the distal aortic arch was cannulated and connected to a cardiotomy reservoir. All animals underwent 40-minute single cross-clamping of the proximal descending aorta while keeping proximal systolic arterial pressure above 100 mmHg. In group B, normothermic arterial blood was delivered retrogradely through the azygos vein, maintaining perfusion pressure within 25-30 mmHg. Animals were allowed to recover to perform a primary neurologic evaluation.

RESULTS

Flaccid paraplegia was uniformly observed in group A. In group B, all animals showed mild-to-moderate voluntary hind limb movements on awakening (p = 0.007). Controls also showed urine incontinence short after cross-clamping, and this was not observed in group B (p = 0.008). A different veno-arterial oxygen step-down was observed in blood collected from the excluded aorta in the two groups (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Preliminary results indicate that controlled retrograde normothermic perfusion alone through the azygos system provides some degree of protection from spinal cord ischemia. Bladder dysfunction may represent a simple test to detect massive cord damage intraoperatively. Retrograde spinal cord perfusion warrants further investigation.

Left atrial-inferior vena cava bypass achieves retroperfusion of the porcine spinal cord: morphologic and preliminary physiologic studies

BACKGROUND

Spinal cord injury remains a devastating complication after procedures on the descending thoracic aorta. A new model for retrograde perfusion of the spinal cord during aortic cross-clamping was evaluated for its potential role in preventing spinal cord injury after thoraco-abdominal aortic surgery.

METHODS

Retrograde perfusion of the spinal cord was established in juvenile pigs using partial bypass from the left atrium to the isolated inferior vena cava. Flow was maintained for a 60-min period of aortic occlusion. Morphologic studies of spinal cord blood flow were obtained using injection of a dilute barium-gelatin-chromatin dye solution. Physiologic cooling of the spinal cord was achieved using varying degrees of hypothermic retroperfusion.

RESULTS

Five animals underwent a 30-min period of retroperfusion followed by dye injection. Dye was identified in spinal cord venules and capillaries, most heavily concentrated in the lumbar and lower thoracic cord. Thirteen animals underwent a 60-min period of normothermic (37 degrees C), mild hypothermic (27 degrees C), moderate hypothermic (17 degrees C), or deep hypothermic (7 degrees C) retroperfusion; mean spinal cord temperatures were 35.2, 32.2, 28.0, and 24.4 degrees C, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Retrograde perfusion of the porcine spinal cord using a left atrial to inferior vena cava partial bypass circuit can be accomplished and can be used with hypothermic perfusate to produce cooling of the spinal cord. This new technique warrants further investigation into spinal cord protection and potential application for operations on the descending thoracic aorta.