Emergency procedures on the descending thoracic aorta in the endovascular era.

Background: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), initially developed for the treatment of degenerative aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta, has been applied to the entire spectrum of descending thoracic aortic pathology in both the elective and emergent settings. This single center study evaluates the effectiveness of TEVAR for the treatment of acute surgical emergencies involving the descending thoracic aorta, including traumatic aortic disruption (TAD), ruptured descending thoracic aneurysm (RDTA), and acute complicated Type B dissection (cTBD).

Methods: A retrospective review of the medical records of all patients undergoing emergent TEVAR at the University of Mississippi Medical Center between August 2007 and November 2010 was undertaken.