Safety of Thoracic Aortic Surgery in the Present Era

Aortic surgery is quite safe in the current era and leads to good long-term survival for this patient group. These data support prophylactic replacement of the thoracic aorta in patients with poor expected natural history (based on aneurysm size or symptoms). As catheter-based therapies proliferate, surgical data provide a benchmark that must be equaled or exceeded by newer endovascular approaches.