Patterns, management options and outcome of blunt thoracic aortic injuries: a 20-year experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital

Endovascular Repair in Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injury: A 10-Year Single Center Experience

BACKGROUND

Life-threatening blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) typically occurs alongside multiple other traumatic injuries. Symptoms of BTAI can range from being asymptomatic in the case of intimal tears to becoming catastrophic in the case of uncontained aortic ruptures. The aim of this research was to examine the clinical outcomes for those who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in hospital settings.  Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted using patient data that were extracted from Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for the duration between January 2011 and December 2021. This study included data from all patients aged 18 and up who had been diagnosed with BTAI and had undergone TEVAR. The BTAI diagnoses were confirmed using CT scans. Logistic regression was utilized to identify predictors of patients' health status improvement and length of stay.

RESULTS

A total of 80 patients were involved. Around 50.0% (n=40) of the patients had grade 3 thoracic aortic injuries. The median duration of stay was 14.00 days (Interquartile range 21.00). Only one patient developed post-procedure complications (1.3%). Almost one-third (31.3%; n=25) of the patients required subclavian coverage. One patient developed intraoperative endoleak (1.3%). One patient developed an access site complication (1.3%). The mortality rate within 30 days of the operation was 1.3%. The vast majority of the patients (92.5%; n=74) showed improvement upon discharge from the hospital. The baseline patient characteristics and length of hospitalization had no effect on the improvement of patient status upon discharge or their length of stay (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Patients with BTAI have shown an excellent success rate with TEVAR and a low complication rate. Predictors of procedure success and length of stay need to be identified; however, this can't be done without larger-scale investigations. This can aid in the development of preventative measures that improve clinical outcomes for the patients.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Nonoperative Management for SVS Grade II Blunt Traumatic Aortic Injury

BACKGROUND

Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) grade II blunt traumatic aortic injury is defined as intramural hematoma with or without external contour abnormality. It is uncertain whether this aortic injury pattern should be treated with endovascular stent-grafting or nonoperative measures. Since the adoption of the SVS Guidelines on endovascular repair of blunt traumatic aortic injury, the practice pattern for management of grade II injuries has been heterogenous. The objective of the study was to report natural history outcomes of grade II blunt traumatic aortic injury.

METHODS

A systematic review of published traumatic aortic injury studies was performed. Online database searches were current to November 2022. Eligible studies included data on aortic injuries that were both managed nonoperatively and classified according to the SVS 2011 Guidelines. Data points on all-cause mortality, aorta-related mortality and early aortic intervention were extracted and underwent meta-analysis. The methodology was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidance.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies were included in the final analysis with a total of 204 cases of SVS grade II blunt traumatic aortic injury treated nonoperatively. The outcomes rates were estimated at 10.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.7%-14.9%) for all-cause mortality, 2.9% (95% CI 1.1%-5.7%) for aorta-related mortality, and 3.3% (95% CI 1.4%-6.2%) for early aortic intervention. The studies included in the analysis were of fair quality with a mean Downs and Black score 15 (±1.8).

CONCLUSIONS

Grade II blunt traumatic aortic injury follows a relatively benign course with few instances of aortic-related mortality. Death in the setting of this injury pattern is more often attributable to sequelae of multisystem trauma and not directly related to aortic injury. The current data support nonoperative management and imaging surveillance for grade II blunt traumatic aortic injury instead of endovascular repair. Longer-term effects on the aorta at the site of injury are unknown.

Hemoptysis as a rare manifestation of missed blunt thoracic aorta injury, a case report

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Blunt thoracic aorta injury is one of the most fatal injuries in multiple trauma patients and most of these injuries lead to death at the scene. Some patients remain undiagnosed because of the lack of specific symptoms for these injuries. Hemoptysis as a presentation of a neglected blunt aortic trauma is a very rare condition. In this study, we present a case with a 7-month delay in presentation and diagnosis.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 49-year-old man with a complaint of intermittent hemoptysis was presented to the clinic. He had a history of chest trauma following falling 7 months ago. His physical examination was unremarkable. On Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) pseudoaneurysm of the descending aorta was detected and the patient was treated urgently with a stent graft.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

Blunt thoracic aorta injury may occur following deceleration traumas. Descending aorta is the most involved segment but other segments may be involved as well. Bleeding can be stopped by tamponading the aorta with its overlying pleura. In some cases, pseudoaneurysms are formed and may remain undiagnosed for a long time after index trauma. CTA is the most useful diagnostic study and when the diagnosis is made, urgent treatment is mandatory. Although endovascular repair has significantly lower mortality and morbidity, open surgical repair may be inevitable in some cases.

CONCLUSION

Thoracic aorta injury should be suspected in any patient with severe deceleration trauma and CTA should be used promptly for the diagnosis and treatment of these potentially fatal injuries.

Traumatic blunt thoracic aortic injury: a 10-year single-center retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

Approximately 80% of patients with blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) die before reaching the hospital. Most people who survive the initial injury eventually die without appropriate treatment. This study analyzed and reported the treatment strategy of a single center for BTAI in the last 10 years and the early and middle clinical results.

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with BTAI at Xijing Hospital from 2013 to 2022. All inpatients with BTAI aged ≥ 18 years were included in this study. The clinical data, imaging findings, and follow-up results were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier curve and multivariate logistic regression were used to compare survivors and nonsurvivors.

RESULTS

A total of 72 patients (57% men) were diagnosed with BTAI, with a mean age of 54.2 ± 9.1 years. The injury severity score was 24.3 ± 18, with Grade I BTAI1 (1.4%), Grade II 17 (23.6%), Grade III 52 (72.2%), and Grade IV 2 (2.8%) aortic injuries. Traffic accidents were the main cause of BTAI in 32 patients (44.4%). Most patients had trauma, 37 had rib fractures (51.4%), Sixty patients (83.3%) underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) surgery, eight (11.1%) underwent conservative treatment, and only four (5.6%) underwent open surgery. The overall hospitalization mortality was 12.5%. In multivariate logistic regression, elevated creatinine levels (P = 0.041) and high Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score (P = 0.004) were the predictors of hospital mortality. The median follow-up period was 57 (28-87) months. During the follow-up period, all-cause mortality was 5.6% and no aortic-related deaths were reported. Three patients (4.2%) needed secondary surgery and two of them underwent endovascular repair.

CONCLUSION

Although TEVAR surgery may be associated with intra- or postoperative dissection rupture or serious complications in the treatment of Grade III BTAI, the incidence rate was only 8.9%. Nevertheless, TEVAR surgery remains a safe and feasible approach for the treatment of Grade II or III BTAI, and surgical treatment should be considered first,. A high GCS score and elevated creatinine levels in the emergency department were closely associated with hospital mortality. Younger patients need long-term follow-up after TEVAR.