The replacement of thoracic aorta and elimination of proximal intimal tear are the classic methods for the treatment of Stanford type A aortic dissection. However, some patients still have residual tears in the distal aorta after operation and lead to dilation of the false lumen due to continuous perfusion. As negative remodeling of distal aorta is closely related to the long-term prognosis of patients, the exploration of related influencing factors has attracted the attention of scholars recently. We aim to review the definition, pathological mechanism and risk factors of unfavorable remodeling after open surgery.
Objective To assess the clinical efficacy of endovascular treatment in the second stage for patients with progression to local or full-length dissection-like changes at the distal aorta following initial surgery for aortic intramural hematoma. Methods Between July 2020 and December 2022, patients with aortic intramural hematoma were treated initially for proximal lesions. During follow-up, if the distal aortic hematoma was not resorbed and entry tears were identified with progression to local or full-length dissection-like changes and possible focal contrast enhancement, and the patients undergoing a second-stage stent intervention were retrospectively collected. Initial surgeries included total aortic arch replacement or thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) targeting the proximal entry tear. In the secondary stage, stents were strategically placed in three delineated regions of the distal aorta to seal the entry tears, promote hematoma resorption, and induce thrombosis of the false lumen. Results A total of 18 patients were collected, including 15 males and 3 females with a mean age of 53.5±10.6 years, ranging from 39 to 76 years. All patients achieved procedural success, yielding a technical success rate of 100%. Intraoperative and postoperative imaging confirmed effective sealing of the distal entry tears without stent leakage, visceral branch stenosis, or occlusion, and there were no serious complications such as perioperative cerebral infarction, paraplegia, or organ ischemia. Follow-up assessments showed complete thrombosis and disappearance of the false lumen in all patients. Conclusion In patients with unresolved entry tears and dissection-like changes post-initial surgery for aortic intramural hematoma, secondary stent placement effectively seals these tears, promotes thrombosis and resorption of the hematoma, and improves endovascular remodeling of the aorta, demonstrating favorable short- to medium-term outcomes.