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.
Saratzis
Nikolaos
N
1st Department of Surgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Melas
Nikolaos
N
Saratzis
Athanasios
A
Lazaridis
John
J
Kiskinis
Dimitrios
D
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