Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injuries: New Perspectives in Management

Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injuries: New Perspectives in Management

Blunt thoracic aortic injuries (BTAIs) present a great challenge because of their potentially fatal outcomes. Recent advancements in their management have proved to be beneficial in terms of various parameters, including mortality and complications. Endovascular repair is now the treatment of choice in most centres and is continuously replacing the traditional open surgical method. We present a...

endovascular repair of blunt traumatic thoracic aortic injuries

Endovascular Repair of Blunt Traumatic Thoracic Aortic Injuries

A 42-year-old female is involved in a motor vehicle accident and presents with a number of injuries. She is hemodynamically stable and is found to have multiple rib fractures, a hemopneumothorax, and several uncomplicated long bone fractures. A CT scan of her chest reveals a traumatic injury to her proximal descending thoracic aorta with evidence of pseudoaneurysm formation and surrounding hema...

Endovascular management of traumatic thoracic aortic injuries.

BACKGROUND Endovascular surgery has recently been extended to the treatment of blunt traumatic aortic injuries. Since most of these injuries occur at the aortic isthmus, graft fixation in proximity to the origin of the left subclavian artery (LSA) has been a concern. Covering the LSA with graft fabric lengthens the proximal fixation site and should minimize proximal endoleaks. We therefore wish...

Traumatic Thoracic Aortic Injuries

T raumatic blunt injury to the thoracic aorta is one of the most formidable challenges surgeons face. This devastating condition can lead to immediate death at the time of injury in the majority of cases, due in part to either aortic transection or acute rupture.1 Although blunt aortic injury accounts for less than 1% of all adult level I trauma center admissions, this condition represents the ...