Factors Affecting Outcomes in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection: A Systematic Review

Acute type A aortic dissection is a clinical emergency and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality rates if not managed promptly in specialised and high-volume centres. The mortality rate is increased by 1% for each hour delay in management; however, with advancement in clinical practice, diagnostic imaging and clinician awareness, this has been dramatically reduced to below 30% in most international centres. Not only timing of recognition of the pathology, but also other factors can significantly affect outcomes of such critical pathology. This includes, but is not limited to, age, extent of the pathology, existence of connective tissue disorders, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and surgeon experience. This narrative review will focus on current clinical practice and the evidence behind optimising each factor to minimise adverse outcomes in such high-risk cohort.