Intraoperative descending aortic dissection during aortic root replacement: successful management

Intraoperative aortic dissection is a very rare complication during surgical cardiac intervention with occurrence frequencies of 0.06–0.23% (1-3). However, when it does occur it is uniformly a life-threatening complication with high rates of morbidity and mortality (3-5). Despite the potentially catastrophic outcomes of intraoperative aortic dissection, no clear guidelines exist regarding optimal management.