Endovascular repair for acute traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta

We report endovascular treatment of acute traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta as a potential alternative to open surgery for high-risk patients.

Between January 2001 and July 2002, 9 patients with acute traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta were treated with a stent-graft. In all cases the endovascular management was selected because of age, associated polytrauma, or comorbidities. Preoperative workup included chest computed tomography scan, transoesophageal echography, and angiography. The devices used were the Excluder and the Talent stent-grafts.

Eight patients underwent immediate repair and 1 patient was treated within 5 days of the accident because of delayed diagnosis of aortic rupture after surgical management of spleen rupture. The stent-graft was successfully expanded in all patients through the common femoral artery (n = 7) or the common iliac artery (n = 2). There was no perioperative death, renal failure, or neurologic complication (paraplegia or stroke). In 1 patient the computed tomography scan at 7 days postoperatively showed proximal endoleak requiring placement of a second stent-graft. Follow-up ranged from 4 to 20 months. All spiral computed tomography scans performed during follow-up revealed no evidence of endoleak, migration, or alteration of the stent-graft.

Endovascular repair in the acute phase of traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta is technically feasible and safe, and may represent an alternative to open surgery for high-risk patients.