[Surgical treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm]

Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair is the most invasive aortic surgery, requiring wide aortic exposure and reconstruction of branches of vital organs. Spinal cord ischemic injury( SCII) remains the most devastating complication. There has been a significant improvement in operative mortality and the incidence of SCII during past 2 decades in the treatment of TAAA repair. A number of adjuncts have been successfully used intraoperatively and postoperatively to minimize the risk of SCII. However, TAAA repair is a still surgical challenge for many cardiothoracic surgeons because there is no definite method to prevent SCII. As the cause of SCII has been considered to be multifactorial from many experimental and clinical studies, multidisciplinary approach is essential in the surgical treatment of TAAA. This review describes the recent advances and operative management of TAAA repair in the current era.