Endovasculaire behandeling bij 4 patiënten met een traumatische ruptuur van de thoracale aorta

Objective. To present our initial results with the endovascular treatment of traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta. Design. Retrospective. Method. Between April and October, 2002, 4 men between the ages of 22 and 46 were treated endovascularly for a traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta. The diagnosis 'rupture of the thoracic aorta' was made on the basis of CT-angiography in all cases. In the first case, a thoracic Gore TAG-endoprosthesis (Gore & Associates; Den Bosch) was used, and in 3 cases a Talent-endoprosthesis (Medtronic AVG; Heerlen). Results. There was an average of 2.5 days (limits: 0-5 days) between admission and the placement of the endoprosthesis. There was one intra-operative complication in the form of a dissection of the right femoral artery when the endoprosthesis was inserted. In 3 cases, the left subclavian artery was occluded by the prosthesis. This had no negative consequences for the patients during the follow-up period (limits: 4-12 months). The CT-angiogram taken 3 months after the operation consistently showed a good position of the endoprosthesis with no signs of leakage. Conclusion. For a limited follow-up period, the endovascular treatment of a traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta has been shown to be safe and effective. The long term results must be awaited.