Aortic dissection affects approximately two in ten thousand individuals and can be fatal. This state-of the-art publication is a result of the combined efforts of participants from the International Registry of Aortic Dissection (IRAD). The book has been divided into sections. Each chapter provides a succinct overview of the current clinical literature and incorporates illustrations for further explanation.

The definite treatment ofaortic disorders goes back to the resection ofisthmic coarctation by Clarence Crafoord in 1944. It took another third of a century until all portionsofthe aortabecameaccessible to highly standardized surgery. This progress, delayed as it was in relation to most other cardiovascular in terventions, depended on the availability of safe protective methods for the heart and central nervous system, of reliable vascular grafts and atraumatic instruments, novel suture material and tissue adhesives. The development ofadvanced surgical techniques went hand in hand with, and...

This book is driven by the considerable progress made by novel imaging techniques in understanding the pathophysiology and evolution of aortic disease and its diagnosis. Despite the lack of symptoms in stable conditions, most aortic diseases have a high morbidity and mortality. New therapeutic strategies such as endovascular treatment and surgical techniques have appeared to improve conventional surgery in advanced phases of the disease, but until recently, medical treatment has focused on the control of cardiovascular risk factors using beta-blockers to reduce aortic wall stress by reducing...