Surgical experience of the thoracic aortic aneurysm due to Takayasu's arteritis.

We have treated 10 patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms due to Takayasu's arteritis during the last 15 years and presented surgical results. In the surgical treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysm due to Takayasu's arteritis, therapeutic strategy is different from that for atherosclerotic aneurysm and should be determined by the location and the extent of aneurysmal lesions and the degree of inflammation. Palliative procedure, which was taken to reduce surgical risk, has failed to prevent the recurrence of aneurysmal formation or to minimize surgical risk in the later period. Radical surgical treatment for thoracic aortic aneurysms is highly recommended if technically possible. Penoperative steroid therapy to control the degree of inflammation, appropriate strategy for multiple or extensive lesions and progress in the organ protection method that enabled radical treatment, all these will contribute to the improvement of surgical results.