Surgical treatment of dissecting aortic aneurysm. Twenty years' experience.

Early and late results of 40 cases of dissecting aortic aneurysm were reported. 1. Result of 6 cases with acute dissection was as follows: two of three surgical patients survived, whereas all three with drug therapy died. Surgical treatment is preferred for the dissection of the ascending aorta or the arch. Some problems of the postoperative morbidity were discussed: 2. Whether medically treated or surgically, chronic dissection of the descending aorta or the abdominal aorta had better prognosis than that of the other site. Chronic dissection with no saccular enlargement had good prognosis. More than 10 years survival is to be expected. The operative result for the chronic aortic dissection was poor, especially in case of the involved ascending aorta and arch. For the saccular enlargement of the pseudolumen wrapping method with or without the resection might be the preferable procedure to avoid early rupture.