Endovascular stent-graft treatment of thoracic aortic dissection.

Endovascular stent-graft implantation technique is a newly developed, effective and less invasive method in treating thoracic aortic dissection (TAD). Our study was designed to further verify the feasibility, the efficacy, and safety of this technique. We present a 4-year follow-up report of endovascular stent-graft treatment over 36 cases of acute TAD patients and 40 cases of chronic TAD patients. The mortality and comorbidity rates were evaluated thoroughly. In our study, the deployment of the stent-grafts was successfully performed in 75 cases. The hospital cumulative 30-day mortality rate was 1.3%. The instant endoleak rate was 15.8% (12 patients). All endoleaks were successfully treated with a second stent. All patients in local anesthesia were transported to the general ward after the intervention and were discharged from hospital within 1 week. Our preliminary results showed endovascular stent-graft implantation technique offered good peri-operative morbidity and mortality rates. Stent-graft placement over TAD produced a low incidence of spinal cord ischemia, cardiac and pulmonary complications, less hospital stay, less blood transfusion and became the first choice of TAD patients in our department.