Endovascular repair of traumatic aortic injuries

Endograft repair has clearly revolutionized the treatment of traumatic aortic injury. Numerous studies, both retrospective and prospective, have documented the advantages with respect to lower mortality and lower paraplegia rates as compared with traditional open repair. Additionally, 2 recent meta-analyses of the published literature both reported significantly lower mortality and paraplegia rates with endovascular repair. These clear improvements, however, come at an increased rate of device-related complications. Currently, newer devices designed to adapt to more acute bends in the proximal thoracic aorta are in the multicenter trial phase. These devices are also expected to be available in a wider range of diameters and lengths, including smaller diameter devices required to treat younger patients. A conformable Gore TAG design is undergoing trials in the United States. Trials of the Talent thoracic device for the treatment of blunt aortic injury are also ongoing. We await the results of the ongoing multicenter trials and expect that with improvements in technology, the vast majority of patients with traumatic aortic injury can be treated without open thoracic aortic surgery. The long-term durability and natural history of thoracic endograft devices, however, are unknown. Continued regular follow-up is recommended, although this can be difficult in this young population of patients. Because follow-up may be ongoing for decades, the need to identify a potential problem has to be weighed against the oncologic risks of repeated radiation exposure.