Aortic Dissection

Abstract

SUMMARYAortic dissection, once thought to be rare, is the most common catastrophe of the aorta, being twice as common as ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.1 In one Inner London borough, aortic dissection accounted for 4.2% of sudden deaths in men over a three‐year period.2 Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are crucial to achieving a successful outcome, because the events that influence survival occur early in the course of the disease.Surgical repair of aortic dissection is an uncommon operation in the United Kingdom. The Cardiac Surgical Register for 1988 (the most recent year available for analysis) reveals that 208 operations were performed to replace the ascending aorta, 12 operations to replace the aortic arch and 15 operations on the descending aorta during that year.