Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair
Andrew Del Re, MD1; Jahan Mohebali, MD, MPH2; Virendra I. Patel, MD, MPH2
1The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
2Massachusetts General Hospital
Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) are generally asymptomatic and are discovered incidentally on thoracic or abdominal imaging. When they are identified, management is often expectant, depending on the size of the aneurysm and its rate of growth. Surgery is indicated for larger aneurysms and those that expand rapidly so as to avoid the catastrophic rupture of the aneurysm.
This article presents the case of a 70-year-old female with a TAAA, whom had been followed with serial computed tomographic angiography scans. The decision to operate was made when the aneurysm began revealing growth in diameter. Her anatomy was not conducive to endovascular treatment; therefore, her aneurysm was repaired using a traditional open approach.