The future of stenting in patients with type A aortic dissection: a systematic review

Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) carries high morbidity and mortality rates and is a clinical emergency. The reported mortality rate is 50% to 65% within the first 48 hours without surgical intervention. Open surgery therefore remains the gold standard management for ATAAD. However, in patients who are deemed unfit for surgery and where possible, endovascular repair offers a useful alternative to medical treatment alone or high-risk open surgical repair. Several case reports, case series, and retrospective studies have reported good outcomes following endovascular treatment. The endovascular option also has comparable early and late outcomes, favourable aortic remodelling, and satisfactory overall survival despite having a higher-risk patient cohort. However, stenting in patients with ATAAD undoubtedly still has several limitations and technical challenges.

A neglected symptom of contained aortic laceration--dysphagia aortica successfully treated by endovascular stentgrafting

PURPOSE

Dysphagia aortica describes an esophageal swallowing disorder caused by external compression from an ectatic, tortuous, or aneurysmal thoracic aorta. Although well recognized among specialists, dysphagia aortica is rarely considered in the differential diagnosis of dysphagia.

CASE REPORT

We present the case of a 75-year-old woman with a history of swallowing difficulty and retrosternal pressure sensation. Her symptoms had been attributed to sliding axial hernia along with gastroesophageal reflux disease for the last 12 months. Diagnostic workup at our institution revealed a giant penetrating ulcer of the descending aorta as a culprit of esophageal compression. Expeditious endovascular stentgraft exclusion of the aneurysm was performed because of its symptomatic nature and high propensity of spontaneous rupture. On a recent consultation 2 years after the endovascular procedure, the patient confirmed a complete remission of impaired swallowing and freedom from thoracic discomfort.

CONCLUSIONS

Dysphagia aortica should be considered in the numerous differential diagnoses of esophageal swallowing disorders in the elderly, as delayed identification may harbor catastrophic outcome for affected individuals.

Endovascular stent-graft placement for acute and contained rupture of the descending thoracic aorta

OBJECTIVES

To identify determinants of postinterventional death after endovascular stent-graft placement for acute rupture of the descending thoracic aorta, an emerging therapeutic modality for this highly life-threatening condition.

METHODS

Between July 1999 and November 2004, 17 patients (14 males; mean age, 65+/-16 (25-83) years) underwent stent-graft repair of the descending thoracic aorta for acute rupture from a thoracic aneurysm (TAA, n=6), acute aortic dissection (AAD, n=6), penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU, n=3), or blunt chest trauma (n=2). Immediate, 30-day, 1-year, and 3-year mortality was assessed. Twenty-one clinical and procedural variables were evaluated in a post-hoc analysis regarding their influence on mortality. Of these, four preprocedural factors with the greatest impact were used to construct a rupture score with a scale from 0 (no adverse prognostic factors present) to 4 (all four adverse factors present).

RESULTS

Stent-graft placement was technically feasible in all patients. Complete exclusion of the ruptured aortic pathology could be achieved in only 11 (65%) patients, despite implantation of 1.6+/-0.9 stent-grafts per patient, with a median length of 130 mm. There was one procedure-related early complication (bleeding at the access site). One patient died immediately following the procedure because of progressive mediastinal hematoma, although the rupture site was effectively sealed. Overall survival rates were (76.5+/-10.3)% at 30 days and (52.9+/-12.1)% at 1 year and remained at (52.9+/-12.1)% at 3 years. The four most important preprocedural denominators of death were (1) TAA or AAD as the underlying etiology of aortic rupture (P=0.024), (2) maximum aortic diameter>5 cm (P=0.024), (3) presence of mediastinal hematoma (P=0.056), and (4) an estimated lesion length requiring >1 stent-graft to be covered (P=0.009). Furthermore, residual leakage at the conclusion of the procedure (P=0.009), postprocedural need for dialysis (P=0.004), and prolonged ventilation (P=0.043) were significantly associated with postprocedural death. Using a threshold of >or=3, the rupture score constructed on the basis of the four preprocedural denominators of death was found to be well suited to discriminate postprocedural death (1-year survival: (20.0+/-12.7)% in patients with a rupture score>or=3 vs. 100% in patients with a rupture score<3, P=0.001).

CONCLUSION

Endovascular stent-graft placement in patients with acute aortic rupture was technically feasible, albeit still associated with high mortality. A simple risk score constructed in retrospect, on the basis of preprocedural prognostic factors, appeared to provide a useful separation of candidates who are likely to benefit from a straightforward endovascular procedure and should be tested prospectively in future studies.