Recovery of severe neurological dysfunction after restoration of cerebral blood flow in acute aortic dissection

Emergency repair has been successfully performed in acute type A aortic dissection complicated by cerebral malperfusion. Despite the lack of criteria to define irreversible brain damage, immediate surgery is often denied in case of stroke or coma. We report two patients presenting with coma and altered brainstem reflexes shortly after onset of aortic dissection, in whom aortic repair was successfully undertaken.