Fate of the Unoperated Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm: Three-Decade Experience from the Aortic Institute at Yale University

By analyzing a cohort of patients with aortic aneurysms who were not undergoing surgery, this study aimed to determine the natural course of an aortic aneurysm. The patients’ ascending aortic aneurysms grew very slowly, and growth over 0.2 cm per year was rarely seen. The researchers concluded that aortic growth may not be a proper indicator for intervention, and that the criterial size for intervention should be changed from 5.5 cm to 5 cm.