Cure of dissecting aneurysm of thoracic aorta by total excision.

Abstract

Thus far the only reported successful surgical efforts in cases of dissecting aneurysm of the thoracic aorta have been procedures which mimic nature's occasional cure and divert the false channel back into the aortic lumen. DeBakey, Cooley, and Creech have demonstrated that good results can be obtained by dividing the thoracic aorta in the area of dissection and repairing it in such a way as to close the inner and outer coats of the distal segment, leaving a window between the two proximally. They described one case in which a dissecting aneurysm was partially resected with suture of the homograft to the approximated inner and outer walls of the distal aorta and to the aorta above proximal to the site of dissection. Occasionally a patient survives a more or less limited dissection with a persistent aneurysm. It is the purpose of this communication to describe such a case treated by