Aortic dissection: new aspects of diagnosis and treatment

Involvement of the ascending aorta constitutes a surgical emergency, making rapid diagnosis essential. Noninvasive imaging, once no better than aortic angiography, has been bolstered by the advent of transesophageal echocardiography. It can be performed at the bedside, its accuracy approaches 100%, and the patient can be on the way to the operating room within 10 minutes.