Abstract

BACKGROUND
The aim of this retrospective study is to investigate efficacy and middle-term results of the stent graft treatment for diseases of descending thoracic aorta.
METHODS AND RESULTS
From March 1999 to October 2003, 132 patients (113 male and 19 female, mean age 62+/-14 years) were enrolled. They were divided into 4 groups: aneurysms (43, group A), post-traumatic lesions (24, group B), and complicated type B dissections (43, group C). Twenty-two further patients, with chronic type B dissection and not suitable for endovascular or surgical or hybrid techniques because of multiple entry tears without difference between the true and false lumen and poor clinical conditions, were obliged to receive medical management only (group D). All patients underwent computed tomography (CT) scan and angiography as preoperative assessment. An optimal deployment with exclusion of the aneurysm and/or closure of the entry tear in dissection was achieved in 96.4% (106/110) of the patients that were discharged in good conditions within 6 days. No spinal cord injuries were observed. The follow-up (average 20.82+/-10.01 months, range 1 to 55 months), performed with serial chest CT scans, was 100% complete. No stent graft-related complications were detected, although only in 1 case, an asymptomatic rupture of the Excluder connecting bar was found with a perforation of the fabric and an intra-aortic exposition of the bar itself. In 2 patients with chronic dissection an asymptomatic type II endoleak was detected. A total of 4 hospital deaths resulted in an overall operative mortality of 3.9%. Seven patients (6.3%) died during the follow-up 5 of them for other diseases (4.5%). However, a 40.9% mortality was observed within the obliged medical treatment group.
CONCLUSIONS
Endovascular treatment of thoracic aortic diseases, even in the acute phase, may represent a valid option with a low mortality rate. Moreover, the efficacy is proved in the middle-term whereas the long-term follow-up is still pending.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Bortone AS, De Cillis E, D'Agostino D, de Luca Tupputi Schinosa L

Institution

Dipartimento Emergenza e Trapianti d'Organo, Sezione di Cardiochirurgia, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11 70124 Bari, Italy. abortone@cardiochir.uniba.it

Source

Circulation 110:11 Suppl 1 2004 Sep 14 pg II262-7

MeSH

Aged
Aneurysm, Dissecting
Angioplasty
Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary
Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic
Aortic Diseases
Arteriosclerosis
Coronary Stenosis
Disease Progression
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Postoperative Complications
Retrospective Studies
Stents
Treatment Outcome

Pub Type(s)

Evaluation Studies
Journal Article
Review

Language

eng

PubMed ID

15364873