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Question:
For how long will repair with a Dacron sleeve protect a dissected aorta?
submitted Christy from Corpus Christi, Texas on 12/29/2013
Answer:
by Texas Heart Institute cardiovascular surgeon, James J. Livesay, MD
I am not sure what you mean by a Dacron sleeve repair. For years, Dacron grafts have been used to wrap around the weakened aorta and also aneurysms. They are not generally felt to provide as durable a result as with Dacron graft replacement of the aneurysm. In acute aortic dissection, only a portion of the aorta is removed. The remainder of the dissected aorta is observed annually for signs of growth or other problems. The Florida Sleeve is a relatively new procedure used in aneurysms of the proximal aorta as it arises from the heart to reconstruct this area with an outer Dacron graft reinforcing the aorta without removal. This is not applied in dissections.
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Updated January 2014
