Thoracic aortic stent-grafting.
The surgical management of thoracic disease has improved steadily over the past 20 years due to advances in diagnostic and surgical techniques. Despite this progress, a less invasive approach to treatment is desirable. Patients with coexisting cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases may not tolerate aortic replacement under general anesthesia, particularly combined with extracorporeal bypass. Endovascularly placed stent-grafts offer an alternative therapy, which is less invasive and associated with a shorter hospital recuperation time than with traditional operative therapy. The authors discuss the development of stent-grafts for use in the thoracic aorta, along with the various techniques utilized during these complex procedures.
D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000601:surgery; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011300:Preoperative Care; D015607:Stents; D014456:Ulcer / Q000601:surgery