BACKGROUND Endovascular repair of the thoracic aorta has become an increasingly utilized therapy. Although the short-term mortality advantage over open surgery is well documented, late mortality and the impact of presenting pathology on long-term outcomes remain poorly reported. METHODS AND RESULTS A database was built from 5 prospective studies and a single institutional series. Rates of per...

OBJECTIVE We modified the conventional aortic arch replacement procedure to avoid circulation arrest and a prolonged extracorporeal circulation time, especially in cases of acute aortic dissection. We herein present our experience with a modified branch-first approach to acute aortic dissection, with anastomosis of the supra aortic vessels prior to commencing cardiopulmonary bypass. METHODS S...

Aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition with a 50% mortality rate in the first 48 hours and a 3-month mortality rate of 90% in untreated patients. Aortic dissection is a rare complication of pregnancy, but there is significant morbidity and mortality for the mother and infant. A 43-year-old woman with a 37-week intrauterine pregnancy was admitted to the emergency department 6 hours af...

BACKGROUND The effect of acute aortic dissection itself on coagulopathy or surgery-related coagulopathy has never been specifically studied. The aim of the present study was to perioperatively describe consumption coagulopathy in patients with acute aortic dissection. METHODS Sixty-six patients with acute type A aortic dissection were enrolled in this study from January 2015 to September 2016...

STUDY OBJECTIVES Aortic dissection generally is an acute catastrophe. Rapid diagnosis is critical. We hypothesized that the quality of history taking contributes to the accuracy of diagnosis in patients with dissection. DESIGN Retrospective chart review of 83 patients, whose diagnosis of aortic dissection was confirmed by autopsy, surgery, CT scan, echocardiogram, or angiogram. The quality of...

Aortic dissection is the most common fatal condition of the aorta, yet it is often missed on initial clinical presentation. Aortic dissection associated with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is relatively rare, but if it occurs, it can be diagnostically challenging, and the condition can be fatal. Here we describe a case of aortic dissection presenting as STsegment elevation myocardial infarction ...

Aortic dissection is a cardiovascular emergency. Its main manifestation is severe chest pain, and approximately 50% of patients present with an elevated systemic blood pressure. Rare reported physical findings include a pulsatile sterno-clavicular joint, dysphagia or testicular tenderness. The absence of sudden onset of pain lowers the likelihood of aortic dissection. We describe a patient in w...

BACKGROUND Subclavian artery dissection is a rare entity. It is usually associated with anomalous aortic vasculature. Only with trauma or catheterization procedures is subclavian artery dissection with normal aortic vasculature reported. PATIENT We describe a patient with intrascapular pain, an occipital headache, and 3 distinct infarctions in the nervous system. He had spontaneous subclavian...

Intraoperative acute aortic dissection is a rare and potentially fatal complication of open cardiac surgery,the reported incidence of which is approximately 0.16% to 0.35% [1]. Its early diagnosis and treatment are essential to achieve a favorable outcome. Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) is routinely used intraoperatively during open cardiac surgery and is the only useful monitor for det...

Aortic dissection represents the most common aortic emergency, affecting 3 to 4 per 100,000 people per year and is still associated with a high mortality. Twenty percent of the patients with aortic dissection die before reaching hospital and 30% die during hospital admission. Aortic dissections may be classified in 3 ways: according to their anatomical extent (the Stanford or DeBakey systems), ...