Treating Aortic Dissection and Penetrating Aortic Ulcer with Stent Graft: Thirty Cases

Background The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of stent graft in the treatment of aortic dissection and penetrating aortic ulcer. Methods From June 2001 to April 2004, 25 patients with aortic dissection and 5 patients with penetrating aortic ulcer received stent-graft implantation. Within this group were 24 male and 6 female patients, with an average age of 52.3 ± 11.9 years. One patient was diagnosed as type A dissection, 23 patients as chronic type B dissection, 1 patient as acute type B dissection, and the remaining 5 patients with penetrating aortic ulcer. Among the 25 patients with aortic dissection, 3 had contained rupture. All patients were followed up in 1 to 32 months. Results All patients received stent-graft implantation. There were 5 type I endoleaks. Retrograde ascending aortic dissection occurred during the operation in 1 patient. Two other retrograde ascending aortic dissections occurred in 2 patients 1 day and 7 days, respectively, after stent-graft implantation. Two patients died 1 day and 18 days, respectively, after operation because of rupture of ascending aortic dissection. One-month mortality rate was 6.7%. No death occurred during follow-up time. One patient received a second stent-graft implantation 20 months after the first procedure. Conclusions Serious complications may develop after stent-graft implantation, but the early results of treatment of aortic dissection and penetrating aortic ulcer with stent graft were satisfactory. Long-term follow-up was needed.