heart and blood vessel disorders
Aortic Dissection
Prognosis for Aortic Dissection
About 20% of people who have an aortic dissection die before they reach the hospital. Without treatment, the death rate is high within the first 2 weeks and varies depending on the location of the dissection. With treatment, about 70% of people who have dissection of the first part of the aorta and about 90% of those who have dissection of the aorta farther from the heart survive to leave the hospital. About 60% of people who survive the first 2 weeks are still alive 5 years after treatment, and 40% live at least 10 years. Of people who survive more than 2 weeks, one third eventually die of complications of the dissection, and the other two thirds die of other disorders. 