Dissecting aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta. Surgical or medical treatment?

A follow-up study was made of 49 patients with dissecting aneurysm of the thoracic aorta diagnosed in the period 1969-1981. Comparison was made of surgery v. antihypertensive drugs for treatment of dissecting aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta (DeBakey type III). Of 22 non-surgically treated patients with type III dissection, 14 survived for a year or more after the diagnosis, whereas only one of 13 patients survived surgery for any length of time. The prognosis in dissection of DeBakey type III thus seemed to be better with medical than with surgical treatment.