Endovascular repair of traumatic thoracic aortic disruption

In a patient with multiple trauma, blunt thoracic trauma with concomitant aortic disruption is often eminently lethal, ranking second to head injury as the most common cause of trauma-related deaths. Open surgical repair of the aortic lesion has morbidity and mortality rates that are among the highest in the field of cardiovascular surgery. Results with thoracic endovascular aortic repair for traumatic aortic disruption are promising. The facility requirements, technique, and early results of thoracic endovascular aortic repair for the treatment of this difficult aortic injury are presented.