Endovascular treatment for dissection of the descending aorta

Surgery for acute ischaemia complicating dissection of the descending aorta is associated with high mortality. We used an endovascular fenestration ap proach (scissor technique) to treat seven of 12 patients with ischaemic com plications of descending aortic dissection; the remaining five patients wer e treated by stent implantation. Four of the 12 patients died (two in the f enestration group and two in the stenting group) in the days after the proc edure. The remaining eight were symptom-free a mean of 9.4 (SD 8) months la ter. We suggest that the fenestration approach is a promising addition to e ndovascular treatment for patients with ischaemic complications of descendi ng aortic dissection.