REVIEWS  THORACIC AND ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSMS CHALLENGES 

Italian Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery 2007 September;14(3):197-208

Copyright © 2007 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Current status of endovascular repair of thoracic aortic injury

Clouse W. D. ^{1, 2}, Eliason J. L. ³, Bowser A. N. ^{1, 2}

¹ San Antonio Military Vascular Surgery Service San Antonio Military Medical Center San Antonio, TX, USA 2 The Norman M. Rich Department of Surgery Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Bethesda, MD, USA 3 Division of Vascular Surgery The University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Thoracic aortic traumatic injury is a highly morbid event and mortality and paraplegia rates after emergent open repair remain high. When feasible, delayed open repair may be helpful. Thoracic aortic endografting for trauma (TAET) is appealing due to a reduction in stress for the multiple trauma victim; early and mid-term results from TAET delineate improved outcomes. Access and aortic constraints continue to confront TAET. Endovascular programs are challenged by appropriate imaging, operating room inventories and the logistics required for TAET. Currently, developed thoracic endograft devices are not ideal for TAET due to platform size and graft diameter. The management paradigm for traumatic aortic injury is beginning to favor TAET.