Cor Vasa 2011, 53(1-2):91-93

Our 15-year experience with an outpatient thoracic aortic disease unit

Michael Jonák^*, Ladislav Těšínský, Jan Pirk

Klinika kardiovaskulární chirurgie, Institut klinické a experimentální medicíny, Praha, Česká republika

Thoracic aortic surgery has a longstanding tradition at the Department of Cardiovascular and Transplant Surgery of the Prague-based Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine. A diagnostic, indication, and therapeutic algorithm of care for patients with thoracic aortic disease was developed there as early as the 1990s, resulting in a significant increase in the numbers of patients undergoing surgery. As thoracic aortic disease is invariably a most serious and high-risk condition, long-term follow-up of these patients simply had to be arranged. This explains why a specialist outpatient thoracic disease unit was set up in our department as early as 1996. At present, its registry includes over 500 patients, and the unit provides care to patients before and after surgery as well as those individuals treated conservatively whatever the reason.

Keywords: Thoracic aorta; Dissection; Aneurysm; Pseudoaneurysm; Aortic rupture; Stent graft; Marfan syndrome

Published: January 1, 2011  Show citation