Pii: S1010-7940(02)00062-3

Objective: Prospective evaluation of early stent-graft repair of acute traumatic aortic rupture. Methods: Twelve patients with acute traumatic aortic rupture of the descending aorta, out of a series of 337 endovascular aortic procedures, were treated by implantation of selfexpanding stent-grafts. The procedures were performed within a mean post-injury time-period of 5 ^ 7 days (median: 1 day). The feasibility of stent-grafting was assessed by CT scanning and echography. Implantation was performed under local (n 1⁄4 6), or general anesthesia (n 1⁄4 6) if patients were already intubated (n 1⁄4 5) or required a common iliac artery access (n 1⁄4 1). Results: The immediate technical success rate was 100%. There were no post-procedure complications in all but one patient, who died 12 h postoperatively (8% mortality). Complete sealing of the aortic rupture in the remaining 11 patients was confirmed by postoperative CT scans. There were no interventionrelated morbidity or mortality during the mean follow-up of 17 months. One patient with peri-graft leakage was successfully repaired with an additional stent-graft 12 months postoperatively. Conclusion: Non-delayed or early stent-grafting in acute traumatic rupture of the descending aorta is feasible. This technique seems to be a valuable option, in particular when associated lesions may interfere with the surgical outcome. Immediate post-procedural CT scanning and/or echography should be performed, in order to rule out residual leakage. q 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.