Modified Arch-First Technique Performed on a Beating Heart for an Arch Aneurysm with Atheromatous Plaques

A shaggy aorta with unstable atheromatous plaques has a high risk of neurologic complications in cases of arch aneurysm. We report the use of a modified arch-first technique involving arch replacement for a beating heart after reconstruction of supra-aortic vessels while maintaining normal blood pressure. The procedure was performed in a patient who had an arch aneurysm, complicated by an aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) and a shaggy aorta ascending to the aortic arch. This modified arch-first technique is an alternative surgical approach that is used for arch aneurysms involving a shaggy aorta, in order to prevent embolic debris-related complications.