Aortic dissection treatment

Acute aortic dissection can be treated surgically or medically. In surgical treatment, the area of the aorta with the intimal tear is usually resected and replaced with a Dacron graft. Emergency surgical correction is the preferred treatment for Stanford type A (DeBakey type I and II) ascending aortic dissection. It is also preferred for complicated Stanford type B (DeBakey type III) aortic dissections with clinical or radiologic evidence of the following conditions: Propagation (increasing aortic diameter) Increasing size of hematoma Compromise of major branches of the aorta Impending rupture Persistent pain despite adequate pain management Bleeding into the pleural cavity Development of saccular aneurysm