This is the largest study to evaluate incidence and distribution of silent cerebral infarction (SBI) following endovascular repair for disease of the aortic arch. Also, it is the first cohort to include total endovascular arch repair and devices flushed with carbon dioxide (CO2) to prevent gaseous cerebral embolization.

Introduction. Poor data exist concerning the rate of silent cerebral ischemic events following endovascular treatment of the aortic arch. The objective of this work was to quantify these lesions using the STEP registry.

Methods. This multicentre retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients treated with an aortic endoprosthesis deployed in Ishimaru zone 0 to 3 and brain diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) within 7 days after the procedure. DW-MRI was performed to identify the location and number of new silent brain infarctions (SBI), microbleeds ans general outcome of the patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Included patients underwent a proximal endograft deployment in Ishimaru zone 0 to 3

Exclusion Criteria:

• Missing preoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA) scan of the chest and any circumstances that precluded the DW-MRI to be performed in the appropriate time window, such as a medical condition or an MRI contraindication

Consecutive patients, who received routine postoperative DW-MRI within 7 days after endovascular aortic arch repair between September 2018 and January 2020 at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (Hamburg, Germany) and Marie Lannelongue Hospital (Paris, France) were identified.