[20 years surgery of the thoracic aorta].

Between 1969 and 1990, 119 patients underwent operations for aneurysmatic disease of the thoracic aorta in our department: 63 patients suffered from an aneurysm of the ascending aorta, 32 from an acute dissection (26 Type A, 6 Type B), 2 from an isolated aneurysm of the arch, 10 from an aneurysm of the descending aorta and 12 had a traumatic rupture of the aorta. The death rate due to operations for aneurysms of the thoracic aorta and acute type A dissections was clearly lowered. In case of an acute type A dissection emergency intervention is indicated; in acute type B dissection primarily conservative treatment.