Re-intervention after thoracic endovascular aortic repair is high, but we should keep optimistic

During the past decades, the treatment of aortic dissection has greatly altered after the introduction of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). This technique is less invasive and incurs lower risks of mortality and morbidity. However, the long-term efficacy of TEVAR remains controversial with a concern of late treatment failure. In a comparative analysis about open repair and TEVAR for chronic type B aortic dissection (1), van Bogerijen and his colleagues found that treatment efficacy (87.5% vs. 96.7%, P=0.026) in the endovascular strategy group was inferior at 3 years. Given the growing numbers of endovascular procedures for aortic dissection, studies focusing on
re-intervention are crucial to TEVAR.