Endovascular Intervention versus Conv•entional Therapy of •.. Aortic Dissection and Aortic Aneurysm

Abstract

Recently, endovasular stent grafting of the aorta has received increasing attention, as a promising, less-invasive alternative to open surgical repair. Initially, endovascular grafting was first described in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms, but rapidly expanded to include descending thoracic aneurysms and type B aortic dissections.

The aim ofthe present work was to assess the technical aspects, morbidity, short and mid term outcome of endovascular grafting in both type B aortic dissection compared to medically and surgically treated pts as well as both descending thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms compared to surgically treated patients.

To achieve this purpose we studied 194 patients who presented to San Donato hospital in Milan, Italy, between January 2002 and January 2004 with either type B thoracic aortic dissection (55pts) or aortic aneurysms (descending thoracic in 44 pts, or >Jbdominal in 95 pts). Type B aortic dissection pts were subdivided into endovascular group (12 pts, 6

M, mean age 68.6±5.3y), medical group (21 pts, 15 M, mean age 63.8±9.2y) and surgical group (22 pts, 14M, mean age 64.1±7.8 y). Thoracic aneurysm pts were divided into endovascular group (19 pts, 15 M, mean age 68.7±1 Oy) surgical group (25 pts, 15 M, mean age 73.6±5.6y). Abdominal aneurysms were subdivided into endovascular group (44 pts, 36 M, mean age 72.9±7.8y) and surgical group (51 pts, 33 M, mean age 70.2±6.2y).