Minimally invasive endovascular intervention in emergent and urgent thoracic aortic pathologies: single center experience.

INTRODUCTION We report mid-term results from the endovascular treatment of acute thoracic aortic pathologies in a single center. METHODS We retrospectively interrogated our clinical database and identified the following patients who were treated for an acute thoracic aortic pathology during a 3-year period (January 2003 to February 2006) with the deployment of a thoracic endograft: 8 male patients diagnosed with a thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm and/or a thoracic aortic disruption following blunt chest trauma; 1 male patient with a large mobile mural thrombus of the descending thoracic aorta; 1 patient with an aortobronchial fistula; and 8 patients with a symptomatic descending thoracic aortic aneurysm. RESULTS Complete exclusion of the lesion was achieved in all patients. No procedure-related deaths occurred. Postoperative complications included one case of a distal type 1 endoleak, repaired with re-intervention and deployment of an extension graft, and 1 case of moderate graft kinking without further complications. CONCLUSION The endovascular treatment of acute thoracic aortic pathologies is technically feasible and safe. Early and intermediate results are promising.