ANEURYSM OF THE ASCENDING AORTA MAY CAUSE ACUTE TYPE A AORTIC DISSECTION, and the primary aim of a prophylactic operation is avoidance of this life-threatening complication. Current guidelines recommend prophylactic replacement of the aneurysmal ascending aorta at a diameter of ≥5.5 cm. However, several reports have shown that nearly 50% of patients with an acute type A aortic dissection present with an aortic diameter <5.5 cm. It is controversial how to best respond to these observations. Because surgical advances have led to a reduction of early surgical mortality between 1% and 3%, many clinicians believe that surgery is warranted in smaller aortas. Given the frequency of a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), such a strategy has health implications for this population.

Item Type:	Contribution to Refereed Journal
Keywords:	aortic aneurysm; bicuspid aortic valve; surgery
Research Division:	Biomedical and Clinical Sciences
Research Group:	Cardiovascular medicine and haematology
Research Field:	Cardiology (incl. cardiovascular diseases)
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Clinical health
Objective Field:	Clinical health not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Marwick, TH (Professor Tom Marwick)
ID Code:	90504
Year Published:	2013
Web of Science® Times Cited:	13
Deposited By:	Menzies Institute for Medical Research
Deposited On:	2014-04-08
Last Modified:	2014-04-08
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