The minimally invasive aortic treatments with stent grafts has extended from the original endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) to thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), and recently to hybrid TEVAR for the aortic arch and thoracoabdominal aorta. Devices for this therapy have shown a remarkable development, and in recent years, clinical application of branched devices for aortic arch aneurysm and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm has become widespread. It is anticipated that further progress might even allow for an “Endo-Bentall” procedure.
Now, with much focus being placed on EVAR and TEVAR for aortic therapy, the issue is who is to perform these minimally invasive procedures in the future, and how. To date, surgeons have put themselves in charge of this therapy, but as it becomes more intervention-centered, the need of it being performed in the surgical setting will become less and less significant. As seen in minimally invasive transcather aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for aortic valvular disease, which emphasizes a “heart team” approach, the idea of creating a multidisciplinary “aortic team” dedicated to aortic therapy has recently gained prominent attention, although compared to the TAVI’s “heart team,” it still lacks conceptual clarity.
Therefore, this symposium aims to facilitate discussions regarding the future of minimally invasive aortic therapy—who will take the initiative, and what is needed for future therapy, in further considering the “aortic team” approach. To this end, we ask each facility to present their current status and future prospects, and hopefully, this will lead to a comprehensive discussion with a view towards the future.