The management of patients with aortic pathology is now more demanding than ever before. Recent advances in genetics, biomedical engineering, diagnostic imaging and the utilization of clinical databases have enabled us to gain new insights into the function of the aorta at the molecular and genomic level. Rapid development in endovascular and surgical techniques have expanded the toolkit available to treat patients.

An increased awareness of aortic pathology has led to a rise in the referral of patients with complex disease. In elective work, most of these patients are asymptomatic which provides a challenge to the aortic team who have to exercise careful judgement and make difficult decisions. Current treatment options encompass a wide spectrum of conservative, interventional, surgical and hybrid procedures with distinct risk profiles which must be carefully selected, planned and executed. Pre- and postoperative complications as well as progression of disease in individual patients require frequent reconsideration of strategies based on in-depth comprehension and experience.

 This book follows the concept of perceiving the entire aorta as one functional organ assuming that all individual pathologies and local interventional procedures affect the up- and downstream segments with consequences for complications and disease progression. Thus any preventive or surgical strategy must recognize the aortic disease in its entirety.

The book intends to cover the full spectrum of aortic pathologies, mechanisms and functional interplay. The latest available diagnostic tools and options for surgical treatment are presented by the foremost experts in their field in state-of-the-art reviews. The reader is provided with the most current and comprehensive insight into all fundamental and clinical aspects of aortic disease. All chapters are carefully complemented with figures and illustrations.