Current status of thoracic endografting and its adjunctive pharmacology.
BACKGROUND
Thoracic endovascular aortic repair is a promising treatment modality. The advantages in the short term include shorter hospital stay, avoidance of lengthy invasive procedures, and decreased anesthesia time. It has made possible the treatment of elderly patients with coexisting comorbidities who otherwise would be difficult candidates for open surgery.


OBJECTIVE
Although the technical aspects of thoracic endovascular procedures have been described in the literature, the adjunct pharmacology has not been discussed. The aim of this study is therefore to review the clinical pharmacology necessary for procedural details in repair of patients with aortic aneurysms and aortic dissection.


METHODS
A literature search was performed using PUBMED by combining relevant Medical Subject Heading key words. The query was subsequently limited to English language, and involving "human". The articles were assessed for their validity, importance, and applicability. The publications were analyzed and clinically important data were collected and incorporated.


CONCLUSIONS
Thoracic endovascular aortic repair is a complex procedure on a morbid cohort of patients with aortic pathologies. The pharmacotherapy is a crucial component of the procedure: It is aimed at facilitating the endovascular procedure and improving outcomes.
Khoynezhad
Ali
A
Creighton University Medical Center, Division of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, 601 N 30th Street, Suite 3700, Omaha, NE 68131, USA. akhoy@creighton.edu
Celis
Rolando
R
Hashemzadeh
Mehnoosh
M
Movahed
Mohammad Reza
MR
Jalali
Ziba
Z
D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures
D002317:Cardiovascular Agents