Descending Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair Does Not Require Cardiothoracic Surgery Support

Descending thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (D-TEVAR) is often performed by vascular surgeons. At many institutions, cardiothoracic surgery support is required for an elective TEVAR to take place. Oftentimes, this means a dedicated cardiopulmonary bypass team must be available.

In this study, the vascular team from NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, retrospectively analyzed their experience in 18 patients who underwent D-TEVAR between March 2014 and January 2018. No major complications occurred. Two patients experienced a type II endoleak. No patients required conversion to an open procedure, nor did any patients necessitate intervention by cardiothoracic surgery or cardiopulmonary bypass support.

Although these data suggest that cardiothoracic surgery support is not required D-TEVAR, the conclusion should be interpreted very cautiously. The importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in treating patients with aortic disease cannot be overemphasized.