Progress in endovascular management of type A dissection.

Proximal acute aortic dissection [type A] remains a disease with a poor prognosis. High peri-operative open surgical mortality [up to 30%] and a significant turn-down rate [up to 40%] substantiate the bleak prospects for patients with this disease. Thoracic endovascular stent grafting has revolutionized the treatment of distal [type B] acute aortic dissection. Endovascular surgeons are now looking to improve the treatment of type A dissection by offering endovascular techniques to supplement conventional surgical therapy. Less invasive endovascular therapy, obviates the need for sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass, may reduce perioperative morbidity and offers a solution for those patients declined conventional intervention due to co-morbidity or severe complications of the disease. Thoracic stent grafting in the ascending aorta presents specific challenges due to proximity to the aortic valve, navigation over the steep aortic arch and pulsatile aortic movement. Endovascular surgeons have treated type A dissection off-license using aortic cuffs and stents designed for infra-renal aortic surgery. Now grafts specifically designed for treating type A dissection are being developed and deployed under trial [compassionate license] in patients deemed unfit for open surgery. This paper explores how endovascular solutions may fit into the future care of patients with acute type A dissection.