Minimally invasive endovascular intervention in emergent and urgent thoracic aortic pathologies: single center experience.
BACKGROUND
We report mid-term results from the endovascular treatment of acute thoracic aortic pathologies in a single center.


METHODS
We retrospectively interrogated our clinical database and identified the following patients who were treated for an acute thoracic aortic pathology during a 3-year period (January 2003 to February 2006) with the deployment of a thoracic endograft: 8 male patients diagnosed with a thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm and/or a thoracic aortic disruption following blunt chest trauma; 1 male patient with a large mobile mural thrombus of the descending thoracic aorta; 1 patient with an aortobronchial fistula; and 8 patients with a symptomatic descending thoracic aortic aneurysm.


RESULTS
Complete exclusion of the lesion was achieved in all patients. No procedure-related deaths occurred. Postoperative complications included one case of a distal type 1 endoleak, repaired with re-intervention and deployment of an extension graft, and 1 case of moderate graft kinking without further complications.


CONCLUSIONS
The endovascular treatment of acute thoracic aortic pathologies is technically feasible and safe. Early and intermediate results are promising.
1st Department of Surgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Nikolaos
N
Saratzis
Nikolaos
N
Melas
Athanasios
A
Saratzis
John
J
Lazaridis
Dimitrios
D
Kiskinis
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D000792:Angiography; D017546:Angioscopy / Q000379:methods*; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D001983:Bronchial Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D004630:Emergencies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016157:Vascular Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult