Acute Aortic Dissection (AAD) is a rare but deadly medical emergency that occurs when blood leaks through a tear in the aorta – the main artery carrying blood from the heart to the body. Of particular concern is Type A (ascending) AAD, the most dreaded complication of aortic disease. Mortality rises rapidly, increasing by approximately 1% every hour, reaching nearly 50% within 48 hours and as high as 95% within three months despite optimal medical treatment.

Most patients experience sudden, severe chest or back pain that may mimic a heart attack or even abdominal pain. The pain is maximal at onset and can be accompanied by absent radial or femoral pulses. Low blood pressure may develop due to cardiac tamponade or aortic rupture, while breathlessness can occur because of heart failure linked to severe aortic valve leakage. Acute heart attacks may result when the dissection flap obstructs coronary blood flow. Neurological complications such as stroke, spinal cord ischemia or hypoxic brain injury may also appear. If the dissection extends to branch vessels, patients can suffer bowel or limb gangrene or kidney failure.