Publication Date
1-1-2011
Journal
The Texas Heart Journal
PMID
22199426
Publication Date(s)
2011
Language
English
PMCID
PMC3233331
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
2011
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-Print
Published Open-Access
yes
Keywords
Aorta, Thoracic, Aortic Diseases, Aortography, Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation, Bronchial Fistula, Endovascular Procedures, Esophageal Fistula, Female, Humans, Italy, Male, Middle Aged, Surgical Flaps, Time Factors, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Treatment Outcome, Vascular Fistula
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Aortoesophageal fistulae (AEF) and aortobronchial fistulae (ABF) are uncommon, but are in general fatal if left untreated. Conventional treatment requires surgical replacement of the thoracic aorta, along with several adjunctive procedures to repair the esophageal or tracheobronchial lesion.The mortality rates associated with open surgery reach 61% in cases of primary fistula and 78% in secondary fistula.
Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has been proposed as an alternative strategy to surgical management.Although less invasive, this technique has important limitations in treating AEF and ABF, the chief of which is the high risk of graft contamination. Moreover, we still lack sufficient data on early and late outcomes.