Acute aortic dissection is the most common catastrophic condition of the aorta. Treatment
options include open surgery and thoracic endovascular aortic reconstruction (TEVAR).
We present a late Type A dissection as a complication of the management of descending
aortic dissections with TEVAR and a review of the literature. TEVAR of the thoracic
aorta is a viable treatment option for the management of complicated descending thoracic
aortic dissections. Careful patient selection is necessary as medical therapy successfully
treats the majority of uncomplicated Type B dissections. TEVAR should be reserved
for patients with complicated Type B dissections or those who fail nonoperative management.
Close postoperative monitoring is necessary when TEVAR is performed and should be
accompanied by lifelong surveillance. A high level of suspicion is important to identify
retrograde Type A dissections in these patients given its rarity and the ambiguity
of its clinical presentation.
Keywords
aortic dissection - endograft placement - endograft repair - percutaneous - risk factors
- stent
