Baseline demographic, clinical, and operative variables
Of the 601 patients who underwent ATAAD repair, 361 were males (60.1%) and 240 (39.9%) were females. Baseline characteristics were reported and compared between the two groups (Table 1). Females were significantly older, more likely to have hypertension, and more likely to have chronic lung disease when compared to males. Other baseline variables, including race, BMI, previous sternotomy, ejection fraction, history of diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, or coronary artery disease, and presence of tamponade, rupture, shock, or any malperfusion syndrome on presentation were comparable between the two groups.
Operative variables were also reported and compared between groups (Table 2). Females were significantly more likely than males to undergo hemiarch replacement, while males were significantly more likely than females to undergo total arch replacement and frozen elephant trunk. Females were more likely than males to undergo bilateral carotid artery replacement.