Commentary: Surgical repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm —Still room for improvement

Four decades ago, surgical repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAA) was one of the biggest challenges in cardiovascular surgery.1 Apart from in-hospital mortality, spinal cord damage (SCD) was the most dreaded complication.1 In the meantime, much progress has been made, and the pathophysiology of SCD is now much better understood. Different approaches have been developed to protect against SCD, such as distal perfusion, staged clamping, hypothermia, and cerebrospinal fluid drainage.2,3 Reattachment of intercostal arteries is believed by some to be the most critical intervention,2,3 even though this has been discussed controversially.
Source: The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: Commentary Source Type: research