Treating aortic dissection and penetrating aortic ulcer with stent graft: thirty cases.

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of stent graft in the treatment of aortic dissection and penetrating aortic ulcer.

Methods: From June 2001 to April 2004, 25 patients with aortic dissection and 5 patients with penetrating aortic ulcer received stent-graft implantation. Within this group were 24 male and 6 female patients, with an average age of 52.3 +/- 11.9 years. One patient was diagnosed as type A dissection, 23 patients as chronic type B dissection, 1 patient as acute type B dissection, and the remaining 5 patients with penetrating aortic ulcer. Among the 25 patients with aortic dissection, 3 had contained rupture. All patients were followed up in 1 to 32 months.

Results: All patients received stent-graft implantation. There were 5 type I endoleaks. Retrograde ascending aortic dissection occurred during the operation in 1 patient. Two other retrograde ascending aortic dissections occurred in 2 patients 1 day and 7 days, respectively, after stent-graft implantation. Two patients died 1 day and 18 days, respectively, after operation because of rupture of ascending aortic dissection. One-month mortality rate was 6.7%. No death occurred during follow-up time. One patient received a second stent-graft implantation 20 months after the first procedure.

Conclusions: Serious complications may develop after stent-graft implantation, but the early results of treatment of aortic dissection and penetrating aortic ulcer with stent graft were satisfactory. Long-term follow-up was needed.