• John Chung, Richard Owen, Robert Turnbull, Harold Chyczij, Gerrit Winkelaar, and Noel Gibney.
• Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
• J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2008 Apr 1; 19 (4): 479-86.

PurposeThoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has emerged as an alternative to open surgical repair (OSR) of traumatic thoracic aortic injury (TTAI). Herein immediate and midterm outcomes of TEVAR are compared with those of OSR.Materials And MethodsHealth records were used to identify patients with TTAI presenting between April 1995 and September 2006. Preoperative patient characteristics, intraoperative variables, procedural costs, and outcomes were recorded.ResultsA total of 103 patients were identified. Twenty-two died before treatment, 19 were treated conservatively, 36 received OSR, and 26 received TEVAR. In the OSR group, time from diagnosis to treatment was 8 hours, the 30-day mortality rate was 11.1%, and all deaths occurred intraoperatively. Thoracic nerve injury occurred in four patients (12.5%), pneumonia in 12 (37.5%), temporary renal failure in one (3%), paraparesis in three (9.4%), and paraplegia in five (15.6%). On follow-up (mean, 61 months), postthoracotomy pleural reaction was seen in three cases (9.4%). In the TEVAR group, time to treatment was 38 hours (P < .01) and the 30-day mortality rate was 7.4% with no intraoperative deaths. Pneumonia was seen in two cases (8.3%) and left arm ischemia was seen in two of 17 patients in whom the left subclavian artery was covered. On midterm follow-up (mean, 17 months), there were no graft failures or repeat aortic interventions. Costs of each procedure were initially comparable, but follow-up expenses with TEVAR were $1,284 (Canadian) greater per year.ConclusionsTEVAR of TTAI is associated with lower perioperative mortality and morbidity rates than OSR, with no significant graft-related complications on midterm follow-up. The study data support the continued use of TEVAR in this context.

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