[Surgically treated thoracic aortic dissection. The angiographic follow-up of the perfusion relations]

Control angiography in arterial DSA technique was performed in 27 patients after operative treatment of acute aortic dissection (17 patients with type A dissection) respectively chronic aortic dissection (9 patients with type A dissection/1 patient with type B dissection). The mean interval between surgery and angiography was 59 months. All patients were free from symptoms due to organ complications or redissection. Persistent patency of a false lumen was observed in 40.7% (52.9% after operative treatment of an acute dissection; 20% after operative treatment of a chronic dissection). In all cases with a persistent false lumen the dissection originated at the distal anastomosis. In all patients the beginning of the dissection and the perfusion of the supra-aortal, visceral and iliac vessels whether by the true or false lumen could be shown. In 54.5% the Tr. brachiocephalic trunk was involved in the dissection. In 45.5% the left renal artery was solely perfused by the false lumen. Angiography in arterial DSA technique is evidently a valuable technique to document the beginning and extension of a dissection, sufficiency of the aortic valve, re-entries of the dissection, perfusion of the aortal branches, and the flow in both channels.