title: Descending thoracic aortic diseases: stent-graft repair.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate endovascular treatment of descending thoracic aorta with commercially available self-expanding stent-grafts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy patients with aortic dissection, intramural hemorrhage, degenerative and posttraumatic aneurysm, penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer, and pseudoaneurysm underwent endovascular treatment. Eleven patients had impending rupture and were treated on an emergency basis. Stent-grafts were customized or selected on the basis of spiral computed tomographic (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging measurements. Preprocedure diagnostic angiography was performed in patients with aortic dissection and in other selected patients. All procedures were performed in an operating room and monitored with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Follow-up was at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment and yearly thereafter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stent positioning was technically successful in 68 cases. At DSA and TEE, complete aneurysm or false-lumen exclusion was achieved in 66 (97%) cases. No intraoperative mortality or complications occurred. In-hospital complications included transient monoparesis (one patient) and extension of dissection into ascending aorta (one patient) that was repaired surgically. Early endoleak was observed in five (7%) patients: In three (type 2), endoleak resolved spontaneously; in one (type 1), it was persistent; and in one (type 1), treatment was converted to surgery. At long term, one (1%) patient died of aortic rupture; another, of respiratory insufficiency. Five (7%) late endoleak (type 1, one caused by migration of the stent) cases were observed. In three (4%), endovascular treatment was successful; in two (3%), surgery was performed. In one patient with persistent postimplantation syndrome, treatment was converted to surgery after successful aneurysm sealing. Procedure failure (ie, aortic disease-related mortality or conversion to surgery) occurred in six (9%) patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endovascular stent-graft repair is less invasive in patients with chronic and acute descending thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital S. Orsola, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. ross@med.unibo.it
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fattori
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Napoli
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lovato
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grazia
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Piva
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rocchi
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Angeli
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Bartolomeo
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gavelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D015607:Stents; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed