Background: The perfusion of viscera, kidney, and spinal cord represents one of the main concerns during open repair (OR) of Thoraco-Abdominal Aortic Aneurisms (TAAAs). Passive shunting (PS) has been historically used for intraoperative distal aortic perfusion but has been progressively replaced almost entirely by partial left-sided heart or total cardiopulmonary bypass with extra-corporeal circulation (ECC). Despite several advantages of these methods, PS still has potential in mitigating some drawbacks of long extracorporeal circuits connected with centrifugal or roller pumps, such as the need for cardiac and great vessels cannulation, priming and large intravascular fluid volume shifts, high heparin dose, immunosuppressive effects, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. 

Methods: This study prospectively analyzed data of a cohort of patients who underwent TAAA OR using a PS in a single institution. Outcomes of interest were mortality, rate of mesenteric, renal and spinal cord ischemia, cardiac complications, and intraoperative hemodynamic stability achieved in this setting. Our institutional bundle and a comprehensive literature review about the different configurations and applicability of PS for TAAA OR is also reported. The search was performed based on three databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library) by two independent reviewers (LS and AA) from inception to 31 December 2023, and the reported clinical results (visceral, renal, and spinal cord complications and mortality) using PS during TAAAs OR were analyzed. 

Results: Between March 2021 and December 2023, 51 TAAA repairs were performed and eleven patients (n = 8, 73% male; mean age 67 years, range 63–79) were operated using a PS for a total of one (9%) type I, one (9%) type II, two (18%) type III, five (45%) type IV, and two (18%) type V TAAA. In our early experience, PS was indicated for limited staff resources during the COVID-19 pandemic to treat five non-deferable cases. The sixth and seventh patients were selected for PS as they already had a functioning axillo-bifemoral bypass that was used for this purpose. For the most recent cases, PS was chosen as the primary perfusion method according to a score based on clinical and anatomical factors with ECC as a bailout strategy. Selective renal perfusion with cold (4 °C) Custodiol solution was the method of choice for renal protection in all cases while antegrade perfusion of the coeliac trunk and the superior mesenteric artery was assured by PS through a loop graft (8–10mm) proximally anastomosed to the axillary artery (10 patients, 90.9%) or the descending thoracic aorta (one patient, 9%) and distally anastomosed to the infrarenal aorta (3), common iliac (3), or femoral vessels (5). In-hospital mortality was 9% as one patient died on the 10th postoperative day from mesenteric ischemia following hemodynamic instability; permanent spinal cord ischemia rate was 0% and the rate of AKI stage 3 was 9% (one patient). Bailout shifting to ECC was never required. No cardiac complications, nor a significant increase in serum CK-MB were reported in any patient. No prolonged severe intraoperative hypotension episodes (Mean Arterial Pressure < 50 mmHg) were assessed using the Software Acumen Analytics (Edwards LifeSciences, Irvine CA, USA). No peri-operative coagulopathy nor major bleeding was reported. 

Conclusions: Our experience showed satisfactory outcomes with the use of PS in specifically selected cases. Current data indicate that PS may represent an alternative to ECC techniques during TAAAs OR in high volume centers where assisted extracorporeal circulation could eventually be applied as a bailout strategy. However, due to the small sample size of this and previously published series, more data are needed to clearly define the potential role of such approach during TAAA OR.