Objective analysis of midterm outcomes of conventional and hybrid aortic arch repair by propensity-score matching

Hiraoka and colleagues compared outcomes of 337 patients receiving conventional total aortic arch repair to 58 patients receiving hybrid aortic arch repair at a single cardiovascular institution. The authors observed no differences in operative or 30-day death. Five-year survival rate was similar between the groups despite stroke occurring more frequently in the hybrid repair group.
Accompanying commentaries from Atkins and Szeto, and De Santo discuss the comparison of a standard technique to a one performed on a higher-risk population of patients:
Hybrid aortic arch surgery: Have we reached clinical equipoise? Marvin D. Atkins, Wilson Y. Szeto. 
Hybrid aortic arch repair: Facts and hints beyond the statistical truth. Luca Salvatore De Santo.