Acute Type A aortic dissections (ATAAD) are a rare but serious condition, with a 20% mortality rate. They can be managed surgically in two ways, with hemiarch or extended arch repair procedures. To date, neither has been deemed the best treatment option, due to a lack of clinical data. The TITAN:HEADSTART trial seeks to change that. 

Like many of the TITAN trials, HEADSTART is a randomized control trial. In this case, it is also the first RCT being performed in the emergency setting of ATAAD repair. Not only does this lend greater reliability to the results of the study, offering a verdict on the best repair method for ATAAD, it will also inform future RCTs in emergency surgery settings. This is important for advancing the field of surgery as a whole, as more than 50% of procedures take place in emergency settings, but only comprise 10% of trials across all surgical specialties. 

in funding awarded for the vanguard trial

HEart and Stroke Foundation for CANADA