Abstract
Acute aortic syndrome encompasses classic aortic dissection and less common aortic phenomena, including intramural hematoma (IMH), a hemorrhage within the aortic media that occurs without a discrete intimal tear. We reviewed our experience with treating acute type A IMH to better understand this acute aortic syndrome. A review of our clinical database identified 1,902 proximal aortic repairs that were performed from January 2006 through December 2018; of these, 266 were for acute aortic syndrome, including 3 (1.1%) for acute type A IMH. Operative technique varied considerably. All IMH repairs involved hemiarch or total arch replacement. In all 3 patients, the IMH extended distally into the descending thoracic aorta. There were no operative deaths or major adverse events (stroke, paraplegia, paraparesis, or renal failure necessitating dialysis) that persisted to hospital discharge. Length of hospitalization ranged from 5 to 20 days. All 3 patients were alive at follow-up (range, 2-6 yr) and needed no aortic reintervention after their index or staged repairs. In our experience, repair of acute type A IMH was infrequent and could be either simple or complex. Despite our limited experience with this disease, we found that it can be repaired successfully in urgent and emergency cases. Following treatment guidelines for aortic dissection appears to be a reasonable strategy for treating IMH.