Endovascular treatment in diseases of the thoracic aorta

PURPOSE: To determine whether endovascular treatment of thoracic aorta conditions can be an effective alternative approach to surgical repair. MATERIAL AND METHODS: July 1997 to February 1999, eighteen patients (16 men and 2 women; 58.6 +/- 14.8 years) presenting with different kinds of descending aorta conditions were selected for the endovascular treatment. All patients exhibited severe comorbid pulmonary and/or cardiovascular medical conditions which increased surgical risk. All implants were performed in the operating room under fluoroscopic and TEE guidance. Clinical and imaging follow-up was performed 1, 3, 6 and 12 months later. RESULTS: The endovascular treatment was successful in 17 cases. No deaths or major complications occurred. No leakage was evident at post-procedure angiography. The patients were discharged after 6 +/- 4 days. MRI or CT study performed before hospital discharge showed aneurysms exclusion in 16 patients. In the four cases of dissection, thrombosis of the false lumen was evident since the first follow-up study. In the group of patients (11 cases) with 6 months follow-up, the diameters of stented aortic segments decreased. No late leakage was observed and thrombosis was complete in all cases. DISCUSSION: The natural history of aortic aneurysms and dissection is progressive toward dilation and aortic rupture. Surgery of descending thoracic aorta is burdened with a mortality of 8-12% in elective cases and over 50% in emergency cases or aortic dissection. The endovascular treatment of aortic conditions was introduced in clinical practice in 1991 and literature data show that it is effective, with lower mortality and morbidity rates than surgical treatment. CONCLUSION: Our results stress the feasibility and effectiveness of endovascular procedure in the treatment of complex thoracic aorta conditions even in high risk patients. Thus, endovascular treatment of thoracic aorta can be considered an effective alternative approach to conventional surgery.