There is no disease more conducive to clinical humility than aneurysm of the aorta. SIR WILLIAM OSLER

Surgery of the ascending aorta has achieved remarkable success over the last 30 years. Aortic diseases that threaten catastrophic complications of rupture or dissection can now be treated with durable operations and low operative mortality.<sup>9 Detter C., Mair H., Klein H.G. , e al. Long-term prognosis of surgically-treated aortic aneurysms and dissections in patients with and without Marfan syndrome Euro J Cardio Thorac Surg 1998 ;  13 : 416  [cross-ref]

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 20 Lepore V., Larsson S., Bugge M. , e al. Replacement of the ascending aorta with composite valve grafts: Long-term results J Heart Valve Dis 1996 ;  5 : 240

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> Success with prophylactic intervention for aneurysm has led to aggressive efforts to identify aortic disease before complications occur. Because ascending aortic disease is often silent until it affects the aortic valve or results in calamity, diagnosis is still challenging, as noted by Osler.