Somatom x cite

In addition to the PCCT scanner (NAEOTOM Alpha; Siemens Healthineers, Forchheim, Germany), five EIDCT scanners were used, including three dual-energy CT (DECT) scanners (SOMATOM Drive, SOMATOM Force, and SOMATOM Definition Flash; Siemens Healthineers, Forchheim, Germany) and two single-source CT scanners (SOMATOM Definition AS and SOMATOM X.cite; Siemens Healthineers, Forchheim, Germany).

CT was performed on a range of scanners from different vendors including Siemens Somatom X.cite, Somatom Definition Flash, Somatom Definition AS+, and Somatom Definition Edge Plus (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany), as well as GE Revolution (General Electric, Boston, MA, USA) and Philips Brilliance iCT 256 (Philips, Amsterdam, The Netherlands). The three-phase CT clinical protocol consists of NCCT, an arterial phase measured with CTA and CTV after intravenous contrast agent injection. Due to the different scanner types and acute setting of AIS, the CTV was timed with a mean delay of 70 ± 28 s after the CTA. A fixed tube voltage of 120 kV for both the unenhanced and venous phases was used.

In addition to routine preoperative assessments, all patients underwent a CT scan (Siemens Somatom X.cite (Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany); 128 slices of 0.5 mm size) to screen for atherosclerotic disease and anatomical abnormalities in the aorta and major arterial branches. This was crucial for planning the CPB strategy, selecting the appropriate peripheral arterial cannulation site and ensuring safe aortic cross-clamping.
Furthermore, special attention was given to the detection of maximal CT distance from the posterior portion of AoV annulus (base of noncoronary cusp) to the skin level (Fig. 1). We perform that to estimate the expected deepness of AoV location. This distance was measured on transverse CT planes preoperatively.