Outcomes of Early versus Delayed Endovascular Repair of Blunt Traumatic Aortic Injuries

OBJECTIVES: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has surpassed open surgical repair in the management of blunt traumatic aortic injuries (BTAIs) over the past two decades. It is a less morbid procedure associated with lower mortality. We sought to determine the outcomes of early versus delayed TEVAR of BTAI in our population. METHODS: 7 days) repair. In both cohorts, variables analyzed included patient demographics, mechanism of injury, injury severity score, need for blood products transfusion, use of anti-impulse medications, anticoagulation, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and total hospital stay. Primary endpoints included: in-hospital mortality, TEVAR-related morbidity, and the need for reintervention. RESULTS: 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: The short-term outcomes for TEVAR of BTAI continue to show its feasibility in managing BTAI in severely injured patients. There was no clear statistical significance in mortality and morbidity comparing early versus delayed repair. However, our experience is based on a small sample size and short median follow-up but provides a good platform for further analysis.