Endovascular Management of Traumatic Thoracic Aortic Transection

The conventional treatment of traumatic thoracic aortic transection is open surgical repair but it is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, particularly in patients with multiple injuries. We reviewed our experience of endovascular repair of traumatic thoracic aortic transection. Between March 2002 and December 2007, 7 patients (male 6, female 1; mean age 40 years) with multiple injuries secondary to blunt trauma underwent endovascular stenting. One patient required adjunctive surgery to facilitate endovascular stenting. Mean intensive care unit stay was 8.6 days (range, 3–16 days). Arterial access in all patients was obtained by femoral cut-down. The mean operating time was 122 min. Technical success was achieved in all cases. There was no mortality. One patient suffered a right parietal stroke, but none developed procedure-related paralysis. The mean follow-up period was 18.6 months (range, 6–48 months). There was no evidence of endoleak, stent migration, or late pseudoaneurysm formatio...