Report on endograft management of traumatic thoracic aortic transections at 30 days and 1 year from a multidisciplinary subcommittee of the Society for Vascular Surgery Outcomes Committee.

Objectives: The Society for Vascular Surgery Outcomes Committee, including ad hoc members from Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American Association of Thoracic Surgery, and Society for Interventional Radiology, collected outcomes of patients with traumatic thoracic aortic transections treated with endovascular grafts. Results through 1 year of follow-up are reported.
Methods: Data from five physician-sponsored investigational device exemption clinical trials from 2000 to 2008 were entered using standardized forms and definitions. Adverse events were reported early (≤30 days) and late (>30 days) by body system. Major adverse events included one or more of the following: death, stroke, myocardial infarction, renal failure, respiratory failure, paralysis, or bowel ischemia.
Results: There were 60 symptomatic patients (68.3% men; mean age, 46 years) with traumatic aortic transections, of which 97% were due to a motor vehicle accident and 3% were related to other blunt trauma. The average total injury severity score was 39, most with involvement of the chest and abdomen. The average surgical time was 125 minutes. The mean hospital length of stay was 17 days. Associated procedures for the management of nonaortic injuries occurred in 51.7%. All-cause mortality was 9.1% at 30 days and 14.4% at 1 year. One or more major adverse events occurred in 23.3% of the patients, major adverse events occurred early in 20.0% and late in 3.6%. Death accounted for 41.7% of the early and all of the late major adverse events. Early adverse events included 16.7% pulmonary, 13.3% neurologic, and 11.7% vascular complications. Late adverse events included one patient (1.8%) with pulmonary failure and one patient (1.8%) who died of an unknown cause.
Conclusions: One-year results of endograft placement for the management of patients with traumatic aortic injury are acceptable. Most cases treated were due to motor vehicle accident and associated with multiple coexisting injuries. Approximately three-quarters of the deaths occurred ≤30 days, indicating the acute severity of the condition. Although the relatively low rates of adverse and major adverse events are consistent with what is anticipated in an otherwise healthy population, future device and procedural developments may facilitate improved outcomes in the future.
(Copyright © 2011 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)