What is a thoracoabdominal aneurysm?

A thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm is bulging and weakness in the wall of the aorta that extends from the chest into the abdomen. The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body, and it delivers blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

What is thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair?

Open thoracoabdominal repair is the conventional surgical approach in the treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs). The goal of this procedure is to replace the diseased section of aorta to prevent aortic rupture or dissection. Both can be fatal events.

Where is the thoracoabdominal aorta?

A thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm is a bulging in the aorta that extends from the chest to the abdomen. Thoracoabdominal aneurysms are often one of the most complex aortic aneurysms to treat due to the complexity of their location.

What size abdominal aortic aneurysm requires surgery?

Surgery is commonly advised if you develop an AAA larger than 5.5cm in maximum diameter (about 5 cm in women). For these larger aneurysms the risk of rupture is usually higher than the risk of surgery.

What is dissection of thoracoabdominal aorta?

Thoracoabdominal aortic dissection (TAAD) is defined as separation of the layers of the tunica media by ingress of the blood, producing a false lumen (FL) with variable proximal or distal extension. It is not an infrequent clinical entity and constitute 40% of all dissections.

What is Thoracoabdominal injury?

Thoracoabdominal injuries involve both the thoracic and abdominal cavities. This may be caused by a single missile that traverses the diaphragm or by multiple injuries involving both cavities.

How long can you live after aortic aneurysm surgery?

The study found that short-term crude, or actual, survival rates improved among patients who underwent surgery to repair a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. The relative survival rate held steady at about 87 percent. On average, patients who underwent repair for a ruptured aneurysm lived 5.4 years after surgery.

What is life expectancy after aortic dissection surgery?

1 Introduction. Acute type A aortic dissection (AAD) is a life-threatening emergency that carries a high mortality rate without surgical treatment [1,2]. Surgical mortality has been estimated to range from 9% to 30%, and survival rates of 51–82% at 5 years have been reported [3–9].

Which type of injury requires immediate surgery?

Life-threatening problems that can require immediate surgical intervention include: Heart emergencies — heart attacks, aortic dissection, and aneurysms. Spinal cord and brain injuries — brain hemorrhaging (bleeding), skull fracture, spinal cord compression, and back and neck fractures.