Surgical Management for Cardiac and Aortic Lesion Caused by Arteritis

Arteritis is an inflammatory disease of the vessel walls, resulting in vascular damage and a wide variety of clinical symptoms and multisystem disorders. Because aneurysmal disease, coronary disease, and aortic insufficiency affect patient prognosis, surgical intervention plays an important role. Preoperatively, systemic vessels, cardiac function, and other major organs should be evaluated. Regarding the surgical technique, reinforcement of the anastomosis to the fragile aortic wall is important to prevent pseudoaneurysmal formation and prosthetic valvular detachment. As aortic root replacement, we have been applying the modified Bentall procedure with a "double fixation technique" and obtained desirable outcomes. Although endovascular repair for aneurysmal disease is one of the treatment options, its longterm efficacy remains uncertain. Postoperative control of inflammation with corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive agents is also important for long-term management. Pseudoaneurysmal formation and prosthetic valvular detachment may occur progressively over a long period of time. To prevent these complications, strict follow-up with imaging and inflammation control should be performed.