As a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and intensivist, I care for many patients in the OR and ICU who have aortic aneurysms or dissections undergoing open/endovascular repair. It’s important to localize the aortic pathology to determine the timing of intervention, the need for additional monitors (e.g., evoked potentials, lumbar drains, etc.), and predict collateral organ involvement.
In this diagram, I’ve labeled the zones of the aorta as outlined on the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) aortic surgery worksheet. Zone 0 is further divided below the sinotubular junction (STJ), STJ to the mid-ascending aorta, and mid-ascending aorta to the distal ascending aorta.
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