National outcomes in acute aortic dissection: influence of surgeon and institutional volume on operative mortality.

Background: Despite clinical and technical advances, acute aortic dissection carries high operative mortality. This study was designed to establish whether this is influenced by institution and surgeon volume.

Methods: Outcomes of 5,184 patients (mean age, 60.

Endovascular repair of thoracic aortic tears.

Background: Standard treatment of traumatic thoracic aortic transection (TTAT) is open repair by left thoracotomy with or without the use of partial cardiopulmonary bypass. However, open repair is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, particularly in multiply injured trauma patients. We reviewed our experiences of endovascular repair of acute TTAT.