COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING IN POST-SURGICAL SURVEILLANCE OF THORACIC AORTA REPAIR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22551/v4s2e355Abstract
Thoracic aorta surgery is essential for managing life-threatening conditions such as acute aortic syndromes and thoracic aortic aneurysms. Postoperative complications are increasingly detected due to advancements in imaging and surgical techniques, necessitating precise imaging protocols to differentiate true complications from mimics. Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective study at the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases Iași, analyzing 24 patients who underwent thoracic aorta surgery and subsequent CT imaging between November 2023 and December 2024. CT protocols included unenhanced, arterial, and late-phase acquisitions with ECG-gated imaging. Data on demographics, comorbidities, surgical indications, and procedures were statistically analyzed. Results: The cohort (79.16% male, mean age 54.83 years) presented aneurysms (38.46%) and dissections (34.6%) as primary surgical indications. Hypertension was the most prevalent comorbidity (66.66%). Common procedures included the Bentall procedure (29.62%) and thoracic endovascular aortic repair (37%). Complications were identified in 54.16% of cases, including pseudoaneurysms, intramural hematomas, and endoleaks. Symptomatic patients had a higher detection rate, but 50% of asymptomatic individuals also demonstrated complications. Reintervention was required in 16.66% of cases. Conclusions: CT imaging plays a pivotal role in postoperative surveillance, providing critical insights into complications and mimics. Optimized imaging protocols, including ECG-gated acquisitions and delayed-phase imaging, enhance diagnostic accuracy. Routine follow-up imaging is essential, even for asymptomatic patients, to guide timely interventions and improve outcomes in thoracic aortic surgery.
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