Surgical treatment for rupture of the aortic isthmus in a pediatric patient with multiple blunt injuries

Abstract

Although traumatic thoracic aortic injury is a rare condition in children, it is life-threatening with a high mortality rate: approximately 80%–85% of patients die before reaching the hospital and of those who reach the hospital, 50% are not saved due to the severity of the injury. Early diagnosis of thoracic aortic injuries is critical to saving the patient; however, this is difficult because hospitalized patients often present with multiple injuries. Here we present the case of a 14-year-old male patient with a ruptured aortic isthmus due to multiple blunt injuries who was successfully treated by surgical open repair of the thoracic aorta via median sternotomy with the support of cardiopulmonary bypass.