[Management concept for acute traumatic aortic rupture based on a case report]

Acute traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta (ATRRA) is mainly a consequence of high-speed travel or fall from great altitude. Most of the victims die at the accident scene. Only 10-20% reach the hospital alive. Because of the extremely high mortality, emergency repair seems to be indicated. Taking into consideration that the hemorrhage into the mediastinum may remain constained and the patient usually suffers from a wide variety of life-threatening causes of injury the aforementioned option is probably not the best one. We report on a patient whose "stable" aortic rupture was surgically corrected after stablization of the circulation, coagulation and respiratory problems.