ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In this study, we report the late outcomes of a large, decade-long single-center thoracic endovascular aortic repair experience. METHODS AND RESULTS: A prospectively maintained registry and the electronic medical records of 400 consecutive thoracic endovascular aortic repair performed at a tertiary care center were reviewed. The distribution of pathologies treated included aneurysms (198, 49%), dissections (100, 25%), penetrating ulcers (54, 14%), traumatic transections (25, 6%), and other pathologies (23, 6%). Spinal drains were placed prophylactically in 127 cases (32%) of planned extended aortic coverage. There were no acute surgical conversions. Adjunctive surgical procedures were performed on 94 patients (24%). Subclavian revascularizations were performed selectively in only 15% of zone 0 to 2 deployments. The median length of stay was 5 days (limits, 1 and 79 days). Overall 30-day mortality was 6.5% (elective, 2.6%; urgent, 9.5%; and emergent, 20%). Permanent spinal cord ischemia occurred in 4.5% and stroke in 3%. Kaplan-Meier estimates of survival were 82%, 76%, 68%, and 60% and freedom from secondary intervention was 90%, 86%, 81%, and 78% at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months, respectively. Risk factors for mortality included stroke, urgent/emergent repair, age ≥80 years, general anesthesia, and dissection pathology. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair may be used to treat a variety of thoracic aortic pathologies with a very low risk of intraoperative conversion. Overall rates of mortality and neurological complications were relatively low but significantly increased in emergent repairs. There appeared to be a substantial number of late deaths, which may represent a combination of poor patient selection and treatment failures.