1. Introduction. An ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA) is diagnosed in approximately 10 out of 100,000 persons per year in developed countries [].The condition is particularly lethal with an estimated 5 year mortality rate of 39% for aortic diameters ≤6 cm and 62% for ATAAs ≤6 cm [].Elective surgical repair of ATAA is a major operation …
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