Traumatic Thoracic Aortic Coarctation after Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injury Mandates Emergent Thoracic Endovascular...

This study sought to elucidate clinical and imaging findings predictive for malperfusion syndrome after blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI).

There is limited literature on malperfusion syndrome after BTAI, and the timing of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in patients with this condition has not been defined.

A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of patients with BTAI treated between January 2021 and October 2023. Clinical and thoracic aortic (TA) imaging data, time to TEVAR, in-hospital death, and malperfusion/reperfusion sequelae (paraplegia, renal/visceral/limb ischemia, and compartment syndromes) were assessed. Correlations between clinical and imaging findings, time to TEVAR, and outcomes were evaluated.

Of the 19,203 trauma patients evaluated, 13,717 (71%) had blunt injuries and 77 (0.6%) had BTAI. The majority (67.5%) were male, with a median age of 40 years (IQR: 33-55). TEVAR was performed in 42 (54.5%) patients. Seven (9.1%) patients presented with clinical and TA imaging criteria for traumatic thoracic aortic coarctation (TTAC), including diminished/absent femoral pulses and TA luminal narrowing of 50% to 99%. The median time to TEVAR was 9 (IQR: 5-32), 11, and 4 hours for all non-TTAC and TTAC BTAI patients, respectively ( P =0.037). Only TTAC patients presented/developed malperfusion/reperfusion sequelae. In-hospital mortality rates were 7.8%, 5.8%, and 29% for all non-TTAC and TTAC BTAI patients, respectively ( P =0.09). Aortic-related mortality occurred in only 2 (2.6%) TTAC patients.

Patients with clinical and TA imaging manifestations of TTAC are predisposed to malperfusion/reperfusion sequelae if TEVAR is delayed. We recommend the emergent repair of all BTAIs with TTAC.