Purpose: To evaluate endovascular procedures in the management of acute ischemic complications and rupture of the false lumen in aortic dissections.
Methods: Data on patients with aortic dissection and noncardiac acute complications (peripheral ischemia or thoracic aortic rupture) treated with endovascular techniques were collected from 10 institutions and retrospectively analyzed. From March 1997 to January 2000, 58 patients (50 men; mean age 59.6+/-12.8 years) were treated for 19 (33%) type A and 39 (67%) type B dissections. Twelve (21%) patients had thoracic aortic rupture; 46 (79%) patients had one or more peripheral ischemic complications that included bowel pain (19, 41%), anuria associated with acute renal insufficiency (18, 39%), lower limb ischemia (15, 33%), and/or uncontrolled hypertension with renal ischemia (14, 30%).
Results: In the thoracic rupture cohort, all 12 patients were treated successfully with stent-grafts; one distal endoleak required a secondary procedure. There were 2 (12%) periprocedural deaths; one patient developed transient paraplegia after a secondary surgical procedure. In the 46 patients treated with stent implantation, fenestration, or both for peripheral ischemic symptoms, 44 (96%) had patency restored to the malperfused vessel. Eight (17%) patients died within 30 days. Over a mean follow-up of 8.2+/-8.9 months, the false lumen had thrombosed in 7 (70%) of the stent-graft patients. In the 38 surviving ischemic patients, the diameters of the true and false lumens and maximum transverse aorta all increased; only 4 (11%) had total thrombosis of the false lumen.
Conclusions: Endovascular treatment of noncardiac acute complications associated with aortic dissection has favorable early and midterm outcomes.