Contemporary management of blunt aortic trauma

Abstract

Blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) remains a common cause of death following blunt mechanisms of trauma. Among patients who survive to reach hospital care, significant advances in diagnosis and treatment afford previously unattainable survival. The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) guidelines provide current best-evidence suggestions for treatment of BTAI. However, several key areas of controversy regarding optimal BTAI care remain. These include the refinement of selection criteria, timing for treatment and the need for long-term follow-up data. In addition, the advent of the Aortic Trauma Foundation (ATF) represents an important development in collaborative research in this field.