Descending thoracic aortic surgery: update on mortality, morbidity, risk assessment and management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this review is to summarize the literature on thoracic aortic surgery, as well as key management guidelines in the perioperative period. This is particularly timely, as endovascular techniques continue to evolve and become more available. RECENT FINDINGS Endovascular treatment of thoracic aortic disease is expanding in applications and case complexity. SUMMARY With the expanded use of endovascular techniques to treat aortic disease, midterm and long-term outcome studies and comparisons to open surgical approach are now being published with increasing frequency. This review analyzes the available literature on preventing adverse outcomes after descending thoracic aortic surgery, with specific attention to mortality, morbidity, risk assessment and management in the perioperative setting.