Aortic Center: specialized care improves outcomes and decreases mortality.

Objective: To compare in-hospital outcomes in aortic surgery in our cardiac surgery unit, before and after foundation of our Center for Aortic Surgery (CTA).

Methods: Prospective cohort with non-concurrent control. Foundation of CTA required specialized training of surgical, anesthetic and intensive care unit teams, routine neurological monitoring, endovascular and hybrid facilities, training of the support personnel, improvement of the registry and adoption of specific protocols.