Acute traumatic rupture of the aorta: repair by simple aortic cross-clamping

This report describes the techniques used in 16 patients for repair of acute traumatic rupture of the aorta. Direct aortic cross-clamping (13 to 27 minutes) was used without additional methods of spinal cord protection. Direct suture was possible in (56%) of the 9 patients with partial rupture of the aorta but in only 1 (14%) of the 7 patients with complete disruption. In the remaining patients, the repair was carried out by interposing Gore-Tex patches (4 patients) or open tubular grafts (6 patients) using a simplified method, which is described. The 2 deaths, 1 intraoperative and 1 postoperative, were unrelated to the technique. There were no additional perioperative complications. Direct aortic cross-clamping and repair by direct suture or open tubular graft, as described, greatly simplify the correction of acute traumatic rupture of the aorta, and their use is strongly recommended.