We report three cases of contained rupture of the descending thoracic aorta managed by endovascular stent grafting and discuss the possibility of managing this life-threatening complication in emergency, by endoluminal devices. Further experience is needed to specify the indications for aortic stenting in descendant thoracic aortic ruptures.

We describe the inadvertent cannulation of the proximal descending thoracic aortic stent with a five French sheath during attempted pacemaker placement in an 88- year-old male. The injury was managed successfully by the percutaneous placement of a thoracic aortic stent graft with good outcome. Our case highlights the feasibility of managing this uncommon injury with this technique.

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is an accepted treatment option for patients with thoracic aortic pathologies regarded as unfit for open surgery. Nevertheless, a subgroup of these patients is ineligible for classic TEVAR due to the lack of access vessels. We describe the transapical TEVAR technique enabling surgeons to perform TEVAR even in these patients.

Thoracic aorta calcification is associated with coronary and valvular calcification and increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Porcelain aorta represents excessive calcification of the thoracic ascending aorta (Figure) and is a challenging substrate for cardiac surgeons because aortic cross-clamping and aortotomy may cause excessive aortic injury and/or release of thromboe...

We report a unique case of a 63-year-old female with extensive peripheral vascular disease who underwent a single-stage surgical repair of the aortic arch and descending thoracic aortic aneurysm utilizing the Jotec E-vita Open Plus hybrid stent graft system combined with antegrade deployment of a thoracic endograft via a median sternotomy.

Complex lesions of the thoracic aorta are traditionally treated in 2 surgical steps with the elephant trunk technique. A relatively new approach is the frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique, which potentially allows combined lesions of the thoracic aorta to be treated in a 1-stage procedure combining endovascular treatment with conventional surgery using a hybrid prosthesis. These are very comp...

A thoracic aortic aneurysm is a potentially life-threatening condition that involves a structural weakness of the aortic wall, which can lead to aneurysm, rupture, or dissection. Optimal treatment strategies for lesions of the thoracic aorta are still controversial. Open surgery is complex and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Endovascular stenting has emerged as an altern...

Open surgical repair has been considered the mainstay of therapy for thoracic aortic aneurysms, both elective and emergency procedures alike. Recent advances in endovascular technology have made endovascular stentgraft placement a therapeutic modality that is minimally invasive and potentially a safer treatment for aneurysmal disease of the descending thoracic aorta. Moreover, this technology m...

INTRODUCTION We aim to highlight the need for awareness of late complications of endovascular thoracic aortic stenting and the need for close follow-up of patients treated by this method. CASE PRESENTATION We report the first case in the English literature of an endovascular repair of a previously stented, ruptured chronic Stanford type B thoracic aortic dissection re-presenting with a type I...