Background Knowledge about the volume of collateral flow provides insight into the severity of coarctation of the aorta and may be critical in planning the operative approach. There is currently no method for the quantification of collateral flow in coarctation of the aorta. In this study, we applied velocity encoded cine magnetic resonance imaging (VENC-MR) to establish the flow pattern and vo...

Surgical repair in older patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) evokes a higher peri- and postoperative mortality, it therefore remains controversial in nonagenarians. The authors present a case of a surgically managed ATAAD in a nonagenerian, a 94-year-old man presented with an uncomplicated ATAAD, necessitating emergency surgical repair. The subsequent postoperative course was u...

Aortic dissection (AD) is a life-threatening aortopathy with high mortality. To mimic spontaneous AD, investigate the pathogenesis of AD and develop novel therapeutic targets and measures, multiple AD experimental models have been generated, including drugs or chemicals induced experimental models, genetically modified experimental models, surgically or invasively induced experimental models, a...

T he surgical repair of descending and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms began in the early 1950s, and has been traditionally associated with a high mortality rate and a significant risk of paraplegia and multiple organ complications. Crawford classified thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms into four categories based on the extent of the aneurysm (Figure 1). According to this classification, exten...

OBJECTIVES Prompt diagnosis of subsequent dilatation of the dissected aorta is crucial to reduce late mortality in these patients. This study focuses on risk factors for dilatation of the aorta after type A aortic dissection (AADA) affecting a normal-sized or slightly dilated aorta. METHODS Overall 531 CT scans were analysed. Patients were included in the study if at least 3 CT scans were ava...

OBJECTIVES Aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with severely atherosclerotic aortas (porcelain aorta) presents a significant technical challenge. Two strategies are deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) during conventional surgery and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The aim of this study was to examine the outcomes in patients who underwent DHCA for AVR with a porcela...

Introduction and aims: During an Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) procedure a stiff guidewire is inserted from the iliac arteries. This induces significant deformations on vasculature, thus, affecting pre-operative planning, accuracy of image fusion. The aim present work to predict induced using finite element approach validated through experiments with patient-specific additive manufactured...

Objective: Acute dissection of the ascending aorta requires immediate surgical intervention. In this study, we report our first results with valve sparing aortic root reconstruction removing all the diseased tissues. Methods: From August 1995 to December 2000, 22 patients with acute aortic dissection of the ascending aorta (Stanford type A) underwent valve sparing aortic root reconstruction. Th...

OBJECTIVES To assess the value and limitations of using transoesophageal echocardiography as the sole diagnostic test in patients with suspected thoracic aortic dissection. DESIGN Retrospective data review over a two year period. SETTING A regional cardiothoracic centre. PATIENTS Data were compiled from admission records, surgical records, and lists of patients undergoing diagnostic inves...

OBJECTIVE To review diseases of the aorta that commonly require management in the critical care unit. DATA SOURCES Articles and published reviews on aortic dissection, traumatic aortic rupture and aortic aneurysm. SUMMARY OF REVIEW The aorta is the largest arterial vessel of the body and disorders that can lead to rupture (e.g. aortic dissection, traumatic aortic rupture and aortic aneurysm...