Hypothermic arrest for descending aortic rupture in reoperative patients

Establishing hypothermic bypass for repair of descending thoracic aortic rupture in reoperative patients presents unique challenges for the operative team. A higher risk of stroke, embolization, and malperfusion further increases overall morbidity and mortality. Traditional femoral arterial cannulation may not be the optimal route for bypass for these patients. We report two reoperative cases using the right subclavian artery for arterial inflow to avoid these problems.