Media type: E-Article Title: Endovascular treatment of thoracic aortic disease: Mid‐term follow‐up Contributor: Tespili, Maurizio; Banfi, Carlo; Valsecchi, Orazio; Aiazzi, Luigi; Ricucci, Cristina; Guagliumi, Giulio; Musumeci, Giuseppe; Ferrazzi, Paolo; Dake, Michael D. Published: Wiley, 2007 Published in: Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, 70 (2007) 4, Seite 595-601 Language: English DOI: 10.1002/ccd.21262 ISSN: 1522-1946; 1522-726X Keywords: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ; Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ; General Medicine Origination: Footnote: Description: AbstractObjective:The aim of this study was to evaluate the mid‐term follow‐up in a cohort of patients with acute or chronic descending aortic disease treated by stent‐graft repair.Background:Since 1999, endovascular stent‐graft placement has been reported as an alternative treatment to surgical approach for a variety of thoracic aortic diseases; however, results beyond initial short‐term follow‐up are not widely available for the broad range of applications.Methods:From March 2001, 43 consecutive patients with traumatic aortic transection (group A = 16) and complicated type B aortic dissection or aneurysm (group B = 27) underwent stent‐graft implantation. All patients underwent computed tomography (CT) scan as preoperative assessment and in 26 a transesophageal echo (TEE) exam was performed.Results:Technically successful stent‐graft deployment was achieved in all patients. No patient required surgical conversion and no cases of paraplegia occurred. The overall in‐hospital mortality was 9.3%. A residual endoleak (type II) was detected in one group B patient who was managed conservatively. The mean follow‐up was 29 ± 8 months (range 10–48 months). No patient died during late follow‐up after hospital discharge. At 12 months, one patient (2.5%) who had stent graft repair of an aortic dissection developed an asymptomatic type I endoleak. Three asymptomatic patients with chronic dissection had a persistent retrograde perfusion of the thoracic false lumen via a distal tear(s) in the dissection septum.Conclusion:Our results of stent‐graft treatment of complicated and uncomplicated diseases of the descending aorta confirms that this alternative to open repair is a safe, less invasive, and relatively low risk approach. Medium‐term follow‐up results suggest that it is effective and durable therapy with low associated mortality and morbidity rates. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.