Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: From an Era of Revolution to an Era of Evolution

Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair began in Houston, Texas, with  pioneer surgeons such as Drs Michael E. DeBakey, Denton A. Cooley, and E. Stanley Crawford. Their early attempts to repair TAAA were complicated by risk of renal and spinal cord ischemia and difficulty in reattaching the branching vessels of the thoracoabdominal aorta. This article delves into this history and the work being done at the current forefront of TAAA repair.