Aortic Dissection/Transection

First Things First (assess & treat for the following)

  • Identify dissection vs. transection.
  • Perform ABCDEs for all traumatic injuries of the aorta.
  • Primary and secondary survey to identify and catalog all other associated injuries
  • For aortic dissection, identify acute vs. chronic.
  • Hemodynamically stable vs. unstable
  • Famous victims:
    • Deaths
      • King George II of Great Britain
      • Liese Prokop, Austrian Interior Minister and Olympic silver medalist
      • Lucille Ball, actress
      • Ted Bessell, actor
      • Flo Hyman, volleyball player
      • Jonathan Larson, composer of Rent
      • John Ritter, actor
      • Richard Biggs, actor
      • Mike Wieringo, American comic book artist
      • Jim Murray, American sportswriter, Los Angeles Times, 1961-1998
    • Survivors
      • Dr. Michael E. DeBakey
        • Devised the surgery to correct aortic dissection and many other cardiovascular and vascular techniques
        • Noted to be the oldest patient ever to receive his own operation
          • He was 97 at the time of surgery on Feb. 9/10, 2006.
          • He survived and had severe myopathy from deconditioning; with help from physical therapists. he was able to return to a full day’s work until his death from natural causes on July 11, 2008.
      • Daniel Dennett, American philosopher
      • Gerard Houllier, former manager of Liverpool Football Club and Olympique Lyonnais
      • Jose Miguel Arroyo, spouse of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

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Last updated: April 17, 2010