CHALLENGE

CHALLENGE

The Disease

The Disease

Aortic Dissection is a life-threatening condition in which the inner layer of the aorta tears, causing blood flow through it. The dissection is often fatal if the blood-filled channel ruptures through the outer aortic wall. It is the most frequent and catastrophic manifestation of the acute aortic syndrome with an incidence of 1/10.000 patients/year. Since current solutions have not been specifically developed for the problem, current treatments present very high mortality, morbidity, and reintervention rates.

Aortic Dissection is a life-threatening condition in which the inner layer of the aorta tears, causing blood flow through it. The dissection is often fatal if the blood-filled channel ruptures through the outer aortic wall. It is the most frequent and catastrophic manifestation of the acute aortic syndrome with an incidence of 1/10.000 patients/year. Since current solutions have not been specifically developed for the problem, current treatments present very high mortality, morbidity, and reintervention rates.

Why current treatments fail

Why current treatments fail

Open Surgical Repair

Open Surgical Repair

The favorite choice in aggressive cases, especially in the ascending aorta, despite mortality rates exceed 30%. The surgery is extremely invasive, entailing long postoperative hospital stays and a difficult recovery.

• Highly invasive
  • High mortality
  • High morbidity
  • Long recovery time
• Low eligibility

The favorite choice in aggressive cases, especially in the ascending aorta, despite mortality rates exceed 30%. The surgery is extremely invasive, entailing long postoperative hospital stays and a difficult recovery.

• Highly invasive
  • High mortality
  • High morbidity
  • Long recovery time
• Low eligibility

Endovascular Treatment

Endovascular Treatment

Endovascular stent grafts are increasingly used in the descending aorta as they provide better short-term prospects compared to open surgical repair. However, their associated drawbacks are still significant. First, their special geometrical requirements limit the eligibility to less than 25% of all Aortic Dissections. The second limitation is the potential to cause new retrograde dissections due to the low compliance of the stent with the aortic wall. Thus, current thoracic endovascular grafts (TEVAR) are not a definitive solution as they have limited lifespan and must be replaced after that.

• Mechanical mismatch
  • Hard to fix
  • Low eligibility
• Low durability
  • Stent migration
  • Endoleaks
  • High re-intervention rates

Endovascular stent grafts are increasingly used in the descending aorta as they provide better short-term prospects compared to open surgical repair. However, their associated drawbacks are still significant. First, their special geometrical requirements limit the eligibility to less than 25% of all Aortic Dissections. The second limitation is the potential to cause new retrograde dissections due to the low compliance of the stent with the aortic wall. Thus, current thoracic endovascular grafts (TEVAR) are not a definitive solution as they have limited lifespan and must be replaced after that.

• Mechanical mismatch
  • Hard to fix
  • Low eligibility
• Low durability
  • Stent migration
  • Endoleaks
  • High re-intervention rates

Medical therapy

Medical therapy

Drugs may be used to reduce blood pressure and prevent Aortic Dissections from worsening. However, medical therapy is just a complementary treatment to others.

• Complementary to other treatments

Drugs may be used to reduce blood pressure and prevent Aortic Dissections from worsening. However, medical therapy is just a complementary treatment to others.

• Complementary to other treatments