CASE STUDY Repair of Type A Aortic Dissection

Without emergency surgical management, acute type A aortic dissection carries a high risk of death. Controversy exists as to whether extreme age remains a contraindication to surgery. We describe successful repair of type A aortic dissection with ascending aortic graft replacement, aortic valve repair, hemiarch reconstruction, and ablation of atrial fibrillation in a 93-year-old man. (Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2010;18:183–4